Author: Ian Ritter
Executive Bio
Ian Ritter has written about the retail real estate industry since 2002. He is the editor of ALM Real Estate Media Group’s GlobeSt.com, where he also covers the retail industry. Prior to that, he was the national online editor of Real Estate Media’s GlobeSt.RETAIL website. Contact Ian Ritter
Archive
Lehman Still Weighs in on Retail
One of the things that dismayed us the most about Lehman Brothers' failings was the possibility that we would no longer get their great analyst reports on various public retail chains. Well, the firm is still churning them out. We got one on Friday about Dicks Sporting Goods, entitled "We Believe DKS... FULL STORY
99 Cents Only Is Closing Stores Now
Shouldn't discounters thrive in this sick economy? 99 Cents Only sure isn't. The deep discounter is exiting Texas, where it will close all of its 48 stores. The move leaves the City of Commerce, CA-based retailer with 230 units in California, Nevada and Arizona. The move comes just days after 99 Cents'... FULL STORY
NEWSFLASH: Holiday Sales Will Suck
Given all of our recent coverage of how the economy is going down the toilet, we find this Fitch report on holiday sales...obvious. (Read a summary here.) "As expected, the 2008 'back-to-school' period showed disappointing results for department store and specialty retailers," the report says. "This... FULL STORY
Linens Could Liquidate During Holidays
Even in today's economy, a 32% same-store sales drop looks kind of bad. That's why, in part, private-equity firm Cerberus Capital Management has decided not to make a play for the beleaguered Linens 'n Things, according to this New York Post article. This follows a May bankruptcy declaration and the... FULL STORY
Much has been made of UK-based grocer Tesco's expansion into the US, in part because its 15,000-sf footprint allows the chain to expand rapidly in spaces too small for other grocers. This article discusses how many major domestic chains like Wal-Mart and Safeway are following suit. We particularly love... FULL STORY
We've heard both sides of the story for years. Some industry veterans have told us that the US is under retailed. Others have said for a while now that there is way too much product out there. Well, this Wall Street Journal article strongly supports the later argument. Now that the bottom has dropped... FULL STORY
Can Aldi Compete With Wal-Mart?
An analyst quoted in this New York Times article poses an interesting theory: Deep discounter Aldi will one day compete head-to-head with Wal-Mart. We hadn't heard this one before. According to this online fact sheet, the closely held German grocer has 950 stores in the US and this year will open more... FULL STORY
Is Mervyn's Fate Target's Fault?
Mervyn's is suing former owner Target and the private-equity firms the retailer sold the chain to for more than $1 billion. Mervyn's management claims that the complicated deal gave those firms its owned real estate, which was then sold and leased back to the retailer at higher rates, forcing bankruptcy. We... FULL STORY
We Bet There's an Apple Store Near You
We recently saw this post about Apple's site selection and how the computer-powerhouse has been very picky in its real estate strategy. It seems as though 100 million people are within 15 miles of an Apple store...not bad for a chain of less than 300 units. Check out this map (scroll to bottom). We're... FULL STORY
Is Wal-Mart Getting All Steve & Barry's?
Wal-Mart is taking on a merchandising effort that seems a lot like another retailer making headlines lately - Steve & Barry's. Wal-Mart is converting more than 1,700 of its Garden Centers into a new concept called Game Time Headquarters. The company is saying that this part of the store will be geared... FULL STORY
