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Value
Retail News is ICSC's publication featuring extensive and complete
insight into the world of outlet and off-price rettsailers shopping
centers. Here's a list of this month's articles and a summary of
the stories.
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MARCH
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Cover
Story
 Challenges
and Sensitivity
VRN’s exclusive industry surveys reveal that after a tough
retailing year, outlet retailers and developers are re-thinking
the challenges they’ll be facing in 2002: traffic, pricing,
tenant bankruptcies and affordable rents rank high. And in a separate
survey, outlet retailers admit to the least sensitivity to wholesale
accounts since 1988.
Features
Oneida polishes its retail chain
The 125-year-old tabletop and flatware maker has been reinventing
its outlet chain with a new name – Oneida Home Stores
– a new store design and growth plans that include
another 35 stores in the next few years.
 Paul
Harris staging a comeback
In a strategy that may be a sign of the times as retail
bankruptcies surge, Charlotte Fischer, former CEO of Paul
Harris, is hoping to revive the Paul Harris brand —
from her dining room table.
Most recognized brands have outlet presence
Comparing America’s most recognized brands (as gathered
by Women’s Wear Daily every other year) to the brands
with outlet presence is always fun – and a great way
to add perspective to what women shoppers really want.
Retail Round-Up
Coldwater Creek, Brooks Brothers, Tahari and Guess have
been in the news lately: Retail Round-Up tells what’s
up with these companies and their outlet chains.
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 Spotlight
on the Sunny Southeast
Who would think that the Southeast would have more outlet GLA than
any other region in the U.S.? Sunny weather, an ever-changing population
influx and tourists with time and money add up to a great outlet
environment.
2001/2002 Openings & Expansions
Although only three outlet projects opened in 2001, the industry’s
GLA grew by almost 2 million sf with the addition of more than 450,000
sf in expansions and new megamall outlet tenancies; check out the
complete listings of expansions due to open this year.
21 Largest Outlet Markets
As revealed by the latest look at the 21 largest outlet-center markets
in the U.S. today, tertiary cities grab the lion’s share of
the GLA feast, and a small group of developers are responsible for
most of the critical mass.
Prime Retail keeps on truckin’
Whether it’s returning an executive to a job he originally
created or cutting a really good deal on selling off a huge piece
of its flagship property, Prime Retail keeps finding new ways to
reinvent itself.
Development Barriers Reduced
A new law passed by Congress in November – and heavily lobbied
for by ICSC – will enable landowners to develop property without
being held responsible for previous owners’ pollution and environmental
violations.
Converting
Browsers to Buyers
This guest column shows how conversion rates soared for a national
retailer that took corrective actions suggested from data generated
by 5-minute exit interviews with non-buyers.
ICSC Media Survey
An ICSC-designed survey of 100 American journalists concludes that
developers can bolster their centers’ news coverage by communicating
better with reporters, allowing center personnel to be quoted rather
than only corporate execs, and providing more business data, such
as sales and rents numbers.
 Woodburn,
Ore.’s Social Marketing
As today’s consumers seek shopping environments with a link
to the community, outlet-center marketers turn to a technique that
started in the early 1970s to sell health programs. It’s called
social marketing, and it’s the original exploiter of relationships
and bonding.
The Road Most Traveled
In addition to hosting a Warner Bros. casting call and a VIP event
for Harrah’s Casino, Fashion Outlets of Las Vegas has stepped
up programs to capture visitors more comfortable traveling by car
these days.
 Sweden’s
Largest Outlet Center
Freeport has opened the largest outlet center in Sweden, Freeport
Designer Outlets Kungsbacka, a 183,000-sf project with surprisingly
little space devoted to leisure, yet a smash hit with hordes of
serious shoppers.
Off-Price
Megamall outlet tenancy
Value megamalls use outlet retailers as both fill-in tenants
and as customer attractors: Great Lakes Crossing has the
sector’s highest outlet tenancy at 35 percent, while
Arundel Mills, with 31 percent, is typical of its developer’s
outlet-to-other-tenant ratio.
Glimcher’s Magical Night of Giving
A portfolio-wide event aimed at helping local charities
and other non-profit groups continues to blossom as it goes
into its fourth year at Glimcher Properties’ 22 malls,
raising $850,000 last fall.
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VRN
Spring Deal Making
Continuing its 20-year run, the VRN Spring Outlet Retail Deal Making
this month will for the first time be held in Atlantic City, N.J.,
one of America’s top tourism destinations, March 19-20.
2001 Final Sales Index
Outlet comp-store sales rise 0.6 percent in December, the first
monthly increase since September 2000, but drop for 2001 by 5.2
percent.
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