Catey Hill / MarketWatch – We hate to stomp on your stiletto-fueled dreams, but Jimmy Choo shoes — which shot to popularity when they were featured on HBO’s hit show “Sex & the City,” as well as on the heels of celebs and royalty — may lose some of their cachet in the near future, […]
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Griffin: Sarasota’s UTC mall a Tampa-Orlando mashup
Justine Griffin / Herald-Tribune – I knew when I strolled down the aisleway at the Mall at University Town Center for the first time earlier this month — looking past the empty, half-completed storefronts and the plywood panels on the floor — that the mall looked and felt familiar.
So I traveled to Orlando and Tampa to get a feel for Taubman Centers’ other properties in Florida, the ones that have had the greatest influence on the look, feel and tenant mix on Southwest Florida’s newest retail hub.
Deal Analysis: Washington Prime Finds “Something Special” in Glimcher
Gail Kalinoski / Commercial Property Executive – When Washington Prime Group was spun off from Simon Property Group Inc. in May, its leaders began looking for opportunities to acquire and redevelop assets that would have strong cash flow and add franchise value. They saw many opportunities to expand the retail REIT, but CEO Mark Ordan said they were holding “out for something special.”
Apparently, Washington Prime found “something special” in Columbus, Ohio, home of Glimcher Realty Trust.
H&M plans not a single store here… but two
Justine Griffin / Herald-Tribune – H&M, a Swedish international apparel brand known for its discount prices on trendy clothing for young men and women, plans to open two stores in Sarasota County within a year, a move that baffles some retail analysts but shows that there may be enough business to support more than one mall in the region.
H&M plans to open its second store in Sarasota County, at Westfield Group’s Sarasota Square mall property.
Southwest Florida malls evolving with clients in mind
Justine Griffin / Herald Tribune – The shopping scene in Southwest Florida is about to change as we know it, as retailers and mall operators brace for the entrance of a behemoth new player. Opening in 53 days, the $315 million Mall at University Town Center — packed with tenants like Apple, Crate & Barrel […]
School shoppers put low prices 1st
Rick Rommell & Kylie Gumbert / Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel – WEST MILWAUKEE, Wis. — The giant pencil cutouts screaming “One Big Sale Here” throughout the Target store are a dead giveaway: This is the country’s second-biggest shopping season.
And for the great majority of Americans, the annual back-to-school extravaganza is unfolding across an increasingly price-sensitive landscape.
Cash-strapped, middle-class parents are being economically challenged by ever-growing lists that have expanded beyond protractors and No. 2 pencils to include graphing calculators, flash drives and Handi Wipes.
Retailers, meanwhile, have started a wave of promotions as they vie more and more on price alone — potentially pinching their bottom lines and signaling a hypercompetitive environment for the critical holiday season just three months away.
