STORE SPACES

Orlando, Fla. - Planet Hollywood, is transforming its Orlando flagship location into a four-story star-gazing observatory set to debut in spring 2016. The reimagined “Planet Hollywood Observatory” will overlook the heart of Downtown Disney with a newly-expanded outdoor terrace and bar.

New York -- Fitness buffs can shop and also get in a workout at Nike’s new women’s store at Fashion Island, in Newport Beach, California. The 6,000-sq-ft. plus space combines the best of the company’s women’s products with an in-store fitness studio.

The glass- and wood-paneled studio, the first for Nike in a U.S. retail location, features free group or personal fitness training sessions. It also enable customers to try out training and running footwear and apparel.

Conshohocken, Pa. -- Ikea announced that it has chosen VCC to serve as construction manager both for the site work and store development of its new, larger store in Burbank, California. The new location will replace the chain’s existing Burbank store, which is also Ikea’s oldest store in the Western United States.

Pending remaining approvals and permits, groundbreaking is on track for fall 2015 and store opening in spring 2017. Until the new, roomier store opens on the new site, customers can continue to shop at the existing Ikea Burbank.

New York -- Rebecca Minkoff’s New York flagship combines advanced technology with the designer’s fashion-forward apparel and accessories to create a highly engaging and immersive shopping experience — one that’s right in sync with the brand’s omnichannel- and mobile-savvy customer base. It’s also in sync with the ethos of the designer herself, who has entered the wearable tech market, with a bracelet that alerts the wearer to calls and texts, and a cuff that charges mobile device

Conshohocken, Pa. -- Ikea has chosen R&O Construction to serve as construction manager for the site work and store development of its future 351,000-sq.-ft. location in Las Vegas.

Pending remaining approvals, the project will continue on track for site work to commence this month, with groundbreaking during spring 2015. The store is scheduled to open in summer 2016.

New York -- Jonathan Ive, senior VP of design at Apple, is working on a redesign of Apple stores to make them feel more like a “natural” environment for the forthcoming Apple Watch, according to an article in The New Yorker.

“Ive has begun to work with (Angela) Ahrendts, Apple’s senior VP of retail, on a redesign-as yet unannounced-of the Apple Stores,” author Ian Parker writes in the article.

New York -- Whole Foods Market has set itself an ambitious agenda for 2015 with 38 to 42 new store openings, including relocations, for annual square footage growth of 9% to 10%. The company, which currently has 408 stores, remains committed to tripling its U.S. store count to 1,200 locations over the long term.

Plano, Texas -- J.C. Penney is partnering with InStyle magazine to reinvent its 850 in-store salons nationwide in a move that could help the retailer pump up its volume and increase traction with younger shoppers. The new concept, called The Salon by InStyle, will make its debut in July, at 15 locations across Chicago, Dallas, Miami and Los Angeles.