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Shopping Centers Today -> September 2001
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GROCERS TO HAVE STRONG ROLE AT EAST COAST MEETING
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The continuing shakeout in the grocery sector — marked by expansion and consolidation among the largest players — will be one of the overriding themes at this year’s Pennsylvania/New Jersey/Delaware Idea Exchange.
Whereas apparel retailers used to be the most active in terms of expansion, grocers and other food retailers seem to be the most aggressive in their buildouts these days, say industry insiders.
The Idea Exchange, being held Sept. 20-21 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, will feature a panel of supermarket executives outlining their plans for the region as well as a retailer roundup prominently featuring food retailers.
The Pennsylvania/New Jersey/Delaware region has seen a lot of change of late regarding its supermarket players. Royal Ahold, through its Quincy, Mass.-based Stop & Shop subsidiary, is returning to the New York City metropolitan area for the first time in 20 years, taking many leases sold when regional grocer Wayne, N.J.-based Grand Union liquidated. Meanwhile Safeway, Pleasanton, Calif., has purchased the Genuardi’s chain and is looking to add between 50 and 60 stores in all three of the states.
“What I’m noticing on the leasing side is that the big supermarkets are aggressively expanding,” said G. Sean Robbins Sablosky, director of retail leasing for developer National Realty Corp., Springfield, Pa., and the organizer of the retailers panel.
“Safeway alone is looking to open 50 or 60 stores in the market,” he added. “I know that they’re very aggressive and in general food seems to be amazingly aggressive.
“Two years ago shoes and fashion were the aggressive folks and the most aggressive players were companies like Gap and Zany Brainy,” Sablosky said. “Now all I hear from their real estate people is that they’re cutting back. But the food guys are just going nuts.”
On the retailers panel, companies including Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Winston-Salem, N.C., and Panera Bread, Richmond Heights, Mo., will be among the presenters as each chain looks to grow in the area.
Other themes that will be discussed at the show, which expects to draw approximately 1,500 attendees, about the same as last year’s, include a discussion of ongoing developments in the region. A panel including officials from JDN Development Co., The Cordish Co., PREIT-Rubin, Kramont Realty Trust, Benderson Development Co., The Goldenberg Group, Stanbery Development Group, Kravco Co., Simon Property Group and Wolfson Verrichia Group will discuss some of the projects being developed by each company.
The guest speaker during the lunch session will be Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce President Charles P. Pizzi.
There
will also be nearly a dozen roundtable discussions during the first
day’s afternoon session addressing such topics as urban retailing,
zoning issues, lifestyle centers, alternative revenue streams for
malls, bankruptcy, investment trends and marketing.
— Dave Bodamer
 | Current Issue December 2008 |