REAL ESTATE

Overall holiday shopping season sales numbers have been rolling in, and the news confirms what many retail real estate analysts (including myself) suspected: 2014 holiday sales were strong. Nothing earth-shattering — but plenty good enough to chalk this one up as a win. There were some bright and not-so-bright spots (December sales were weaker than expected, for example, and numbers didn’t hit some of the more optimistic overall projections), but the takeaway is that we did see the anticipated increase that the industry was looking for.

New York -- Uniqlo will enter Canada in the fall of 2016, opening a store at Yorkdale Shopping Centre, Toronto, and one at the Toronto Eaton Centre.

Uniqlo currently operates some 1,500 stores, with locations in Japan, Australia, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the U.K. and the United States.

Camp Hill, Pa. -- Rite Aid Corporation announced t that Ray Payne, currently VP, real estate west coast, has been promoted to group VP, real estate. Payne succeeds Karen Smith, who retired last year after more than 35 years with the company.

In his new position, Payne will be responsible for developing and executing the company’s real estate strategy nationwide, including establishing a pipeline of properties for new and relocated stores.

Boston -- Gordon Brothers Group, a global advisory, restructuring and investment firm specializing in the retail, consumer products, industrial and real estate sectors, announced that Michael D. Sullivan has been promoted to managing director, business development in the Northeast Region for the firm’s Valuation & Advisory Services Division.

Mesa, Ariz. -- Brown Group announced that Fry’s Food & Drug will anchor the retail developer’s new Mulberry Marketplace, to be built at the northwest corner of Guadalupe Road and Signal Butte Road in Mesa, Arizona.

The development is comprised of 17.70 acres – 5.3 acres owned by Brown Group partners Gary Brown and Todd Kjar, and 12.4 acres owned by Fry’s. Mulberry Marketplace will be the third Fry’s-anchored center Brown Group has developed in the last five years

New York -- Michael Kors is pleased to announce that it will open its largest Japanese flagship store this fall, in Tokyo’s Ginza district. The store will be the first in the world to carry every category offered by the global luxury lifestyle brand.

Tarrytown, N.Y. -- DLC Management Corporation announced the promotions of Adam Greenberg and Heather Moon from associate directors of leasing to directors of leasing for their respective regions.
 
According to DLC, both Greenberg and Moon have demonstrated strong deal-making skills through the number of deals they have completed in any given year, problem-solving for key spaces/vacancies, and the execution of overall property business plans.

Cincinnati – Kroger Co. has reportedly purchased a soon-to-be shuttered Macy’s store located in the Kingsdale shopping center in Upper Arlington, Ohio, for $10.5 million. According to Columbus Business First, Kroger may include multifamily housing or offices in its redevelopment plans for the site.

The Zoning Board would have to approve any Kroger redevelopment plans. Giant Eagle also operates a grocery store in the Kingsdale center. Kroger did not comment.