Shopping Centers Today -> January 2005
Print this storyPRINT THIS STORY:
 Print this story Print this story CHANGE TEXT SIZE:

IN BRIEF

Gap launches Love

Gap opened an 800-square-foot shop called Love within its New York City flagship on Fifth Avenue. The shop will carry Gap’s most popular accessories. It will also provide boxes and bags specially designed for those accessories, imprinted with quotes from Gap design team members about their inspiration for the pieces. At press time, Gap had no additional Love stores in the pipeline.

Abercrombie Canada-bound

Abercrombie & Fitch plans to open stores in Canada by year-end and, eventually, in Europe, Asia and possibly Latin America, according to Thomas D. Lennox, the company’s director of investor relations and corporate communications.

Two Parisian stores closed

Saks plans to close two Parisian stores in Birmingham, Ala., to focus on more-productive units. The 130,000-square-foot store at Eastwood Mall will be shut at the end of this month and the 129,000-square-foot store at Western Hills is to close in March. The company will continue to operate four other Parisian stores in the Birmingham area.

New-format Penney opens

JCPenney opened a store sporting its new format at Victoria Gardens, the 1.3 million-square-foot, 30-building project in downtown Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., that opened in the fall. The store spans 132,837 square feet and has wider aisles, improved lighting and customer service stations. It also features a spa with 22 hair styling stations and a waxing room.

‘Build-a-doll’ concept unveiled

Build-A-Bear Workshop launched a concept called Friends 2B Made at The Mall at Robinson, in Pittsburgh, and at Easton Town Center, in Columbus, Ohio, in November. This new concept lets patrons create customized stuffed dolls rather than the company’s trademark stuffed bears. Jennifer Mansell, a Build-A-Bear spokeswoman, says the company will focus on fine-tuning the concept before it opens additional units.

Filene’s Basement expands

Filene’s Basement opened its largest store yet, in New York City’s Union Square. The three-level, 90,000-square-foot store is the discount designer-retailer’s third in the city. The chain operates about 20 stores in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.

PureBeauty opens stores

Encino, Calif.-based PureBeauty opened stores in the Washington, D.C., and Houston areas as part of a national rollout. The brand-name cosmetics retailer’s new units are at 1150 Connecticut Avenue, in Washington, D.C.; Idylewood Plaza, in Falls Church, Va.; and Tysons Corner, in McLean, Va. In Houston, PureBeauty opened a 1,800-square-foot unit at Highland Village.f

PriceMart adds Costa Rica unit

San Diego-based PriceMart plans to open another store in Costa Rica, bringing its total there to four. The chain has bought land in San Jose, Costa Rica and plans to open the store in the second half of 2005.

Coldwater Creek ups target

Women’s apparel and accessories retailer Coldwater Creek raised its store expansion plans for this year to 60 units. The Sandpoint, Idaho-based chain had previously said it would open 50.
Shopping Centers Today
Current Issue November 2008Current Issue November 2008