Wake Forest and Chapel Hill, N.C. — Wegmans will open two new grocery stores in 2021 in Wake Forest and Chapel Hill. The New York-based grocer plans to add 500 full-time jobs and nearly 900 total jobs at the two stores. The store in Wake Forest will span 104,000 square feet and will house 200 full-time employees. The property, located at 11051 Ligon Mill Road, is expected to open in May. The asset in Chapel Hill is expected to open in late February and will house 300 full-time jobs. The …
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, retail and restaurant space has been severely impacted by government-mandated shutdowns. While some stay-at-home orders have been lifted, the sector has struggled to return to its pre-pandemic norms. As a result, lenders have shied away from retail, whether it be construction, refinancing or acquisition loans, according to an expert panel assembled by France Media, Inc. Retail has “lost a lot of favor” with lenders, said Pierce Mayson, managing principal of SRS Real Estate Partners, during a webinar panel titled “Southeast Retail Investment Outlook: …
Shopping Center Business and Southeast Real Estate Business hosted “Southeast Retail Investment Outlook — Will Retail Investment Activity Bounce Back in 2021?” A panel of retail experts covered topics like the lending atmosphere, impacts of e-commerce and tenant types likely to expand or contract. Buyer pool shifts, seller considerations in regards to timing and the outlook for grocery-anchored spaces are all reviewed and considered. Plus, how might the presidential and congressional elections alter investment activity in 2021 for the Southeast’s top retail markets? Register and listen to learn from a panel of retail professionals …
Houston — Francesca’s Holdings Corp. will close 140 stores throughout the country by Jan. 30, 2021, the Houston-based women’s apparel and accessories retailer announced on Monday. According to The Wall Street Journal, the 140 shuttered stores represent about 20 percent of the company’s total store count. Francesca’s also said that if the company is unable to raise sufficient capital to continue funding operations and paying obligations, it will likely seek to restructure its debt load by filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Francesca’s stock price opened at $3.53 per share Tuesday, Nov. …
Atlanta — The Home Depot has reported that its third-quarter sales reached $33.5 billion, a 23.2 percent increase over third-quarter sales for 2019. Net earnings for the third quarter were $3.4 billion, or $3.18 per diluted share, compared with net earnings of $2.8 billion, or $2.53 per diluted share, in the same fiscal period of 2019. The Atlanta-based retailer’s third quarter ended on Oct. 31. Chairman and CEO Craig Menear cited demand for home improvement projects in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic as a steady driver for increased sales. …
Merrionette Park, Ill. — Newport Capital Partners has purchased Stonebrook Plaza in Merrionette Park, located about 17 miles southwest of Chicago. The purchase price was undisclosed. Stonebrook Plaza is a 95,825-square-foot shopping center anchored by grocer Jewel-Osco. It is currently 96 percent leased. Other tenants include Blink Fitness and Pet Supplies Plus as well as eateries and personal care tenants. Jewel-Osco has operated at the property since 1985. Jacksonville, Fla.-based Regency Centers was the seller. Chicago-based Newport specializes in the acquisition and management of neighborhood shopping centers throughout major metro …
Bentonville, Ark. — Walmart has reported that its third-quarter e-commerce sales grew 79 percent from the same period a year ago. Comparable sales, defined as those from stores that operated during the entire 12-month fiscal year, went up 6.4 percent. The Bentonville-based retailer’s revenue during its fiscal third quarter reached $134.7 billion, a 5.2 percent increase over the same time period a year ago. Walmart’s third quarter ended on Oct. 31.
Avon, Ind. — Thompson Thrift Retail Group (TTRG), a wholly owned subsidiary of Indianapolis-based Thompson Thrift, has sold Rockville Pointe in Avon near Indianapolis for $3 million. The 10,500-square-foot retail center is fully leased to Tropical Smoothie Café, The Good Feet Store, Spectrum, Papa Murphy’s and Family Allergy & Asthma. TTRG has owned the property since completing construction in 2009. Dylan Mallory of Hanley Investment Group Real Estate Advisors represented TTRG in the sale. C.F. Rockville LLC, a private investor from Bloomington, Indiana, purchased the asset.
“What are you wearing?” It’s been a common question in America’s daily vernacular, yet in 2020 — the year of dressing casually to work from home — it has never been less relevant. For those of us in the retail real estate industry, particularly owners of shopping centers, understanding the years-long downturn in apparel shopping has caused us to rethink what we will do with all the leasable area devoted to this retail segment. Much has been written about the demise of retail stores caused by the emergence of online …
Indianapolis and Bloomfield, Mich. — Simon Property Group and Taubman Centers Inc. have modified their merger agreement to include a new purchase price of $43 per share, enabling Simon to proceed with its acquisition of an 80 percent interest in Taubman. CNBC reports that the decline in the agreed-upon share price from $52.50 per share effectively reduces the price tag of the deal by $800 million. This announcement comes just as the two regional mall REITs were set to square off in Circuit Court for the Sixth Judicial District of Oakland …