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.

APRIL Cover Story Features

Cover Story

With All the World Watching
VRN focuses on Europe and the UK in this issue, noting the important role that outlet retailing has played in making the world a smaller place. Why? Because the outlet distribution channel affords manufacturers the ability to enter new markets with little stress or risk. The formula must be working – outlet projects are opening all over the globe and many more are on tap for the next few years.

Park City’s Olympic Outlet Diary
The management team of Charter Oak Partners’ gold-star project in Utah gives VRN readers an exclusive day-by-day account of how the 2002 Winter Olympics affected shopping at the 300,701-sf center.

Features

Craig Fortifies a Citadel
Craig Realty, awaiting closing on the purchase of Citadel Outlets in City of Commerce, Calif., just nine miles from Los Angeles, has already begun managing, remodeling, expanding, marketing and leasing the 12-year-old project.

Ecko to open 75 stores
Ecko, a hip, rapidly growing apparel brand for young men and women, is following in Candies’ shoes by forging an outlet-store partnership with Designs, parent of Levi’s Outlet by Designs and Dockers Outlet by Designs.

Saucony Up, Florsheim Down
While the outlet division of Saucony, an athletic footwear and apparel maker, is working on a slimmed-down format that will feature a 50-50 blend of shoes and running clothes, Florsheim gave up the fight on March 4 with Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and the announcement that it would close 85 percent of its 155 U.S. stores, including an undisclosed number of outlet units.

Esprit and Kasper Face the Music
Apparel takes a double whammy as Esprit, the women’s and children’s fashion apparel maker – and long-time outlet-chain operator – is sold for $150 million with plans to close its 20 outlet and 20 full-price stores; Kasper, manufacturer of a women’s careerwear and operator of 66 outlet stores plus 30 Anne Klein outlet units, has filed Chapter 11.