Las Vegas — Phenix Salon Suites concluded 2025 with 26 new locations, as well as one international venue in York, United Kingdom. Meanwhile, the brand has also recently signed more than 30 new franchise agreements across new and existing markets for 2026, including Texas, Florida, California, New York and New Jersey. Phenix Salon Suites began franchising in 2012 and currently has more than 425 locations across 33 states, with continued plans to expand internationally.
Batavia, Ill. — Aldi, a German discount, small-format grocer, plans to open 180 new stores across 31 states this year. By the end of the year, Aldi will operate approximately 2,800 U.S. grocery stores, including its first Maine location in Portland and 10 new stores in the metro Phoenix area. The grocer has operated stores in the United States for 50 years and has gained a loyal following in recent years as the demand for discount grocery items increases in the face of inflation. The company disclosed that 17 million Americans …
Tampa, Fla. — Strategic Property Partners (SPP) has announced plans to develop an entertainment district in downtown Tampa. The district is proposed for a vacant parcel across from Benchmark International Arena, the 19,092-seat home of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning NHL team. Situated on Channelside Drive between Morgan and Jefferson streets, the new district will support the broader $3 billion Water Street Tampa neighborhood. SPP plans to partner with Lightning owner Vinik Sports Group (VSG) to manage the entertainment venue, which will be privately financed. “Water Street Tampa was designed …
Columbus, Ohio — Home furnishings retailer American Signature Inc. (ASI) has filed for Chapter 11 relief in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Based in Columbus, Ohio, American Signature was founded in 1948 and is the parent company to Value City Furniture and American Signature Furniture, which have more than 120 stores open across 17 states. ASI expects to enter into a stalking horse asset purchase agreement under which, subject to court approval, ASI Purchaser LLC will acquire substantially all of the company’s assets and assume certain …
When Chinese collectible toy phenomenon Pop Mart opened its 24th U.S. location at the Galleria Dallas mall last spring, social media vloggers documented hundreds of fanatic shoppers arriving the night before and then inching their way through retractable belt stanchions the next day to finally enter the store and purchase coveted Labubu collectibles. Pop Mart’s reception in Dallas may be over the top compared to the more standard welcome that other international brands receive in the United States, but foreign retailers and food-and-beverage operators are nevertheless discovering enthusiastic U.S. shopper …
By Brandon Wernli, studio director at KTGY The time we live in is marked by a profound transformation in how people work, live and connect with each other. Since 2020, shopping centers, regional malls, commercial plazas and lifestyle districts have reasserted themselves as more than places of financial transaction; they are a social necessity. We are living through a societal shift away from the postwar model of expansive single-family homes and isolated retail strips. Reversing decades of suburban sprawl, the residences built today are reducing lot sizes and favoring connectedness …
Miami — The City of Miami’s Urban Development Review Board has officially approved the master plan for Midtown Park, a $2 billion mixed-use development. A joint venture between Rosso Development, Midtown Development and Proper Hospitality is developing the project, a construction timeline for which has not yet been announced. Plans for the two-phase, 1.2 million-square-foot project currently call for 924 residential units, 60,000 square feet of office space and more than 120,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. Additionally, the development will feature two public plazas, a network of pedestrian-oriented …
Houston — Locally based MetroNational has acquired the 309,144-square-foot retail component of CityCentre, a mixed-use development in Houston. The retail portion of the property frames a central green space and features roughly 24 food and beverage concepts such as Bellagreen, Daily Gather, Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, Hopdoddy Burger Bar, North Italia, Sal y Pimienta, Seasons 52, The Capital Grille and Yard House. Retailers include Allen Edmonds, Anthropologie, Kendra Scott, Sephora, Sur la Table, Tecovas, Warby Parker and West Elm. In addition, MetroNational has also partnered with Radom Capital to …
Shenandoah, Texas — STRIVE has brokered the sale of Metropark Square, a 173,000-square-foot mixed-use development located in Shenandoah, roughly 30 miles north of downtown Houston. Dave & Buster’s, AMC Theatre and a Hyatt House hotel anchor the center, which features a mix of dining, entertainment and service-oriented retailers across 70 acres. Tenants include Martinis & Manicures, Top Sushi, Escapology, Black Bear Diner, Salons by JC, Aesthetic Smiles Dentistry and Crawfish Café. Jake Dutson and Jennifer Pierson of STRIVE represented the seller and developer, Frisco, Texas-based Sam Moon Group. STRIVE also procured …
Miami — A partnership between The Easton Group, Lennar and MPKA LLC has proposed City Park at West Kendall, a $2 billion, 990-acre master-planned community in Miami. The development team has filed its application with Miami-Dade County. Plans call for 7,800 new homes in a variety of price points, including townhomes, multifamily units, single-family homes and workforce housing, as well as 1.4 million square feet of retail space and 500,000 square feet of office space. At the heart of the proposed project is Village Core, a walkable town center with …
