New York City — Ralph Lauren has announced plans to open 250 new stores over the next three years. These new stores comprise one aspect of the company’s plan for expansion, which also involves an omnichannel approach. “Our clear and choiceful strategies are expected to deliver sustainable long-term growth and value creation — fueled by our strong balance sheet and operating discipline — as we reinforce our position as a leading luxury lifestyle company,” says Patrice Louvet, CEO of the New York City-based company. Ralph Lauren’s new stores will be …
Forks Township, Pa. — Crayola has entered into an agreement with BrightColors LLC to open at least five new Crayola Experience venues, doubling Crayola’s presence in the U.S. The company’s portfolio currently includes five locations in Easton, Pennsylvania; Orlando, Florida; Bloomington, Minnesota; Plano, Texas; and Chandler, Arizona. Last November, Crayola began actively seeking partners to extend its footprint domestically and internationally. The Forks Township, Pennsylvania-based company’s first multi-venue licensing agreement will be with BrightColors, which is working with partner Kingsmen Xperience Inc. to open the new locations over the next …
Seattle — Starbucks Coffee (NASDAQ: SBUX) has announced plans to open 2,000 stores by 2025 and invest $450 million in its North American real estate, which will include the modernization of existing locations across the U.S. The announcement took place during the company’s 2022 Investor Day conference in Starbucks’ home town of Seattle. The company’s reinvention plan includes the implementation of a store design that streamlines work behind the counter, enabling better connection with the customer. Starbucks also plans to reorganize its real estate portfolio to include a greater number of pick-up …
Jersey City, N.J. — Copper Property CTL Pass Through Trust has sold seven JCPenney retail locations on the East Coast in three transactions totaling $65.2 million. The assets include stores in Delaware, Maryland, New Hampshire and Virginia. The buyers were not disclosed. Copper Property is a New York common law trust that was established to acquire 160 retail properties and six warehouse distribution centers from department store chain JCPenney as part of the retailer’s Chapter 11 reorganization plan. The stores are located at the following malls and shopping centers: Christiana …
Chicago — ShopCore Properties, an affiliate of Blackstone, has named Lauren Holden as executive vice president and chief operating officer and Jessica Zaski as executive vice president and chief transactions officer. Holden joins the company from Clarion Partners, where she was head of asset management. Zaski previously served as senior vice president and co-head of acquisitions for Acadia Realty Trust. Additionally, the company will be taking on the management of 52 shopping centers for Blackstone. These grocery-anchored centers were recently acquired by Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust.
Brentford, U.K. — Cineworld Group, parent company to Regal Cinemas among other international theater brands, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. While a specific plan regarding the company’s real estate was not announced, Cineworld expects to pursue an “optimization strategy” regarding its locations across the U.S. as part of its bankruptcy proceedings. The company is engaging in discussions with its landlords on improving cinema lease terms in hopes of further positioning Cineworld for long-term growth in the U.S., the …
Minneapolis and Tulsa, Okla. — Commercial real estate capital markets platform Northmarq has agreed to acquire Stan Johnson Co., a Tulsa-based real estate brokerage and advisory firm, for an undisclosed price. The acquisition will include Stan Johnson’s affiliated debt services company, Four Pillars Capital Markets. Minneapolis-based Northmarq offers commercial real estate investors access to experts in debt, equity, investment sales and loan servicing. The company boasts an annual transaction volume of $33 billion and has 22 investment sales offices across 13 states. Stan Johnson Co. has closed nearly 7,500 transactions exceeding $45 …
Union, N.J. — Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBY) announced this morning that it will close approximately 150 of its lower-producing stores across the country. The Union-based home goods retailer also revealed that it is cutting its workforce by about 20 percent across its corporate and supply chain staff. Additionally, the company has secured more than $500 million in new financing, including the expansion of an existing credit line and a new $375 million loan. Bed Bath & Beyond says that these moves are in effort to meet demand of …
Chicago and Memphis Tenn. — Chicago-based JLL has entered into a strategic partnership with Memphis, Tennessee-based Poag Shopping Centers to acquire and redevelop mixed-use assets. Poag will provide development and redevelopment services for JLL-managed centers across the U.S., while JLL will provide management and operational services to Poag’s 10 open-air lifestyle centers. Poag will partner with JLL on its existing pipeline of redevelopment work and intends to grow this platform as more malls and open-air centers are revamped for today’s changing retail environment. Poag will also work with JLL to answer …
East Peoria, Ill. — Cullinan Properties has hired Ann Smith as senior vice president and director of leasing and marketing. In her new role, Smith will direct all aspects of the East Peoria, Illinois-based company’s leasing and marketing, including lease negotiations, portfolio merchandising, tenant relationships, marketing efforts and corporate branding strategy. Prior to joining Cullinan, Smith spent 18 years in various leasing and tenant coordination roles at Retail Properties of America (RPAI) and Kite Property Group. “We’re excited for Ann to join Cullinan Properties as she brings unmatched leasing experience and …