REAL ESTATE

Goodlettsville, Tenn. — Dollar General plans to expand its nationwide presence into three new states within the next year, increasing the company’s presence to 43 states across the country. The discount retailer will begin construction on stores in Maine and Rhode Island in fall 2014, with plans to expand into Oregon in early 2015.

Virginia Beach, Va. — Free People has signed a lease for 3,200 sq. ft. at the Town Center of Virginia Beach. The retailer plans to open its doors in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Fort Worth, Texas — Trademark Property Co. is managing the major expansion and renovation of Saddle Creek in the Memphis, Tenn., suburb of Germantown.

Demolition has commenced on 20,000 sq. ft. of existing space on the southwest side of Poplar Avenue and West Street, with work scheduled to begin soon on 40,000 sq. ft. of new retail space for that area.

Oak Brook, Ill. — The Inland Real Estate Group of Cos. has appointed Chong P. Huan chief information officer. He will direct all information technology initiatives for Inland and its member companies. In addition, Huan will serve as CEO of Inland Computer Services, Inland’s in-house IT and computer services department.

Cincinnati, Ohio — Phillips Edison & Co. has appointed Robyn Capuano Hays senior leasing director for The Shoppes at Parma, a $70 million redevelopment of the former Parmatown Mall, currently underway in Parma, Ohio, not far from Cleveland. The project includes an enclosed shopping mall, power center, strip center, outparcels, restaurants, and office space.

New York -- Women’s fashions and home décor retailer Soft Surroundings is planning to open six new stores, giving it a total of 18 locations, the St. Louis Business Journal reported.

New locations will include Richmond, Virginia; Lynnfield, Massachusetts; Alpharetta, Georgia; Madison, Wisconsin; Portland, Oregon; and Paramus, New Jersey.

Soft Surroundings launched in 1999 as a catalog.

Store closings are hardly an infrequent topic in this space. As a barometer for both the performance of individual brands and the market at large, they are an important part of the equation for any retail analyst. Store closings are part of healthy portfolio management for any brand, and, on a larger scale, bankruptcies and reorganizations are a reflection of the market at work.

New York -- This spring, The Mall at Short Hills in Short Hills, New Jersey, welcomes four new boutiques: The Art of Shaving, Calypso St. Barth, Geox and Maje.

Now open on the lower level, The Art of Shaving offers men’s luxury grooming products.

New Jersey’s first Calypso St. Barth boutique is now open on the upper level. Inspired by travel, culture and the arts, Calypso offers women’s apparel, accessories and home décor.