REAL ESTATE

Vancouver, Wash. – Papa Murphy’s Holdings Inc. is setting its sights on Jacksonville, Florida. The pizza chain is opening four new franchised stores in Jacksonville on Aug. 27.

These stores will join five other Papa Murphy’s units already located in the greater Jacksonville area.
 

Toronto, Canada — Lowe's Canada has named Jeff Boyd as VP, real estate, construction and store design effective immediately. Boyd joined Lowe's in October 2007 and has played an instrumental role in the development of the company's Real Estate and Construction function in Canada over the past seven and a half years.  

Annapolis, Md. -- Roy Higgs International, LLC, a provider of architectural design services, is moving into a new studio in the commercial office complex on the Yacht Haven of Annapolis, Maryland, to accommodate its recent growth.

Founded in 2012, the firm provides architectural design services in the retail real estate industry — doubling its employee base from last year to 12 staff members. The move on Sept. 1 marks Roy Higgs Internationals’ third expansion in three years.
 

Chicago – Japanese fast-casual dining chain Jinya Ramen Bar, is using tenant representation from JLL to expand its U.S. brand. Jinya expects to add an additional nine U.S. franchise locations in key cities.

Currently, there are 14 locations throughout Japan, the U.S., Canada and Indonesia, all of which operate under Jinya brands. Senior VP Greg Ferrante and associate Arris Noble are leading the JLL team on this project.

New York - Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th plans to open a new store in spring 2016 at Gateway Shopping Centers in Austin, Texas. The new 50,000-sq.-ft. store will be fashioned in an open, modular layout, and feature a unique and unparalleled selection of designer finds for both men and women.

“Now Trending” is an exclusive online series to chainstoreage.com, featuring trending topics that impact the retail real estate landscape.

For many, the concept of an outlet mall is associated with not only appealing deals on name-brand products, but also with driving long distances to get to the far-flung locations where outlets have traditionally been located.
 

As technology for LED lighting continues to improve, it is expected that LED lighting -- which is more energy efficient, lasts longer and has a significantly lower cost of operation -- will completely replace traditional fluorescent and HID lighting technologies. The LED lighting market is anticipated to grow 45% per year though 2020, and is expected to reach a market size of over $60 billion dollars.

Bellingham, Wash. – West Coast regional grocer Haggen is scaling back some highly ambitious growth plans. Haggen, which made headlines by buying 146 divested Albertson’s and Safeway stores as an 18-unit chain in December 2014, is closing or selling a number of locations in California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.