MINNEAPOLIS — Target (NYSE: TGT) reported a 24.3 percent increase in total digital and in-store sales during the second quarter compared with the same period a year ago, the highest quarterly growth in the Minneapolis-based discount retailer’s history. Same-store sales grew by 10.9 percent during the quarter, while digital sales experienced a whopping 195 percent growth year over year. CNBC reports that during a call with reporters, Target CEO Brian Cornell stated that the volume of sales fulfilled by the company’s curbside pickup program grew by more than 70 percent, and that the company’s digital customer base expanded by some 10 million shoppers. Target’s stock price opened at $148.50 per share on Wednesday, Aug. 19, up 12 percent from the previous day and up 72 percent from $86.23 per share a year ago.
MESA, ARIZ. — Evergreen Devco has acquired an anchor-tenant building at the southwest corner of Mesa Drive and Southern Avenue in Mesa. Terms of the transaction were not released. Evergreen plans to redevelop the vacant, 30,400-square-foot property. The company is also working with a national retail tenant on a lease agreement to occupy the space, a former Big Lots location. The building is situated on approximately 89,000 square feet less than a quarter-mile from the Superstition Freeway (US 60), a popular retail and traffic corridor that has more than 180,000 residents within a three-mile radius.
GEORGETOWN, TEXAS — Harbor Freight Tools, a discount hardware and equipment retailer based in California, will open a 16,000-square-foot store in the northern Austin suburb of Georgetown this week. The store will be located within Republic Square, a retail center at the northeast corner of Interstate 35 and Williams Avenue that also houses tenants such as Dollar Tree, Starbucks and Chipotle Mexican Grill. Jeff Lewis and Brett Maze of Weitzman handled lease negotiations on behalf of the locally based landlord. CLD Realty represented the tenant.
BENTONVILLE, ARK. — Walmart’s e-commerce sales jumped 97 percent in the second quarter, which ended July 31. The Bentonville-based retailer increased its e-commerce capabilities, including increasing same-day delivery and curbside pick-up options as well as hiring at least 200,000 people during the pandemic. Walmart includes a grocery section, deeming the retailer essential and allowing it to remain open through the crisis. Additionally, the U.S. government passed the CARES Act, which included stimulus checks for millions of Americans. As a result of increased spending, Walmart’s same-store sales increased 9.3 percent in the second quarter. Total revenues rose 5.6 percent to $137.74 billion from $130.38 billion a year earlier. The company incurred $1.5 billion of COVID-related costs during the second quarter, including benefit payments and inventory purchases. Sales at Sam’s Club locations were up 8.8 percent in the second the quarter. E-commerce sales increased 39 percent.
ATLANTA — The Home Depot released its second-quarter results, which revealed the home improvement retailer saw a 23.4 percent increase in sales on a year-over-year basis. Sales totaled $38.1 billion in the second quarter, which ended Aug. 3. Because of the coronavirus outbreak and The Home Depot’s status as an essential retailer, meaning the stores have remained open through the pandemic, the company invested approximately $480 million in benefits for its associates, including weekly bonuses for hourly associates in stores and distribution centers.
PHOENIX — Orion Investment Real Estate has brokered the sale of The Shops at 38th Street, a shopping center located in Phoenix’s Arcadia neighborhood. Richard Oliver sold the asset to Alturas Shops at 38th LLC for $6.1 million, or $265 per square foot. The approximately 23,018-square-foot property was fully occupied at the time of sale. Tenants include the Whining Pig, Crumbl Cookies, Club Pilates, H&R Block, Blind Tiger Tattoo, Team 44 Fitness, BoSa Donuts and Autumn Court. Nick Miner of Orion Investment Real Estate represented the seller in the deal.
CINCINNATI — Asia Capital Realty Estate (ACRE) has provided $68.5 million of floating-rate debt to refinance City Club Apartments. The loan, which was underwritten with a loan-to-value ratio of 63.4 percent, has a two-year term and two single-year extension options. Located at 309 Vine St. in Cincinnati, City Club Apartments is a mixed-use property featuring 294 apartments and penthouses, 31,928 square feet of office space and 17,498 square feet of retail space. The sponsor acquired the property in 2016 as a vacant office building and recently repositioned the asset into a Class A mixed-use apartment community. At the time the financing closed, 90 percent of the multifamily units were leased, 100 percent of the retail space was leased and 67 percent of the office space was occupied. Chicago-based Draper and Kramer brokered the transaction.
By Alex Patton During the business lull caused by the outbreak of COVID-19, fast casual sandwich chain Jersey Mike’s made news by rolling out a $150 million nationwide retrofit project for its stores. The project will include aesthetic and comfortability upgrades for 1,700 franchise stores, as well as expanded functionality for delivery and pick-up services — all paid for by the company. “Paying for the retrofits ourselves is a tactical move on our part,” says Peter Cancro, CEO of Jersey Mike’s. “Whenever you put money in your business, it always comes back. It’s an investment into our people — every dollar we put into the project we’ll get back in loyalty and trust from our franchise owners and our customers.” The Manasquan, New Jersey-based company operates approximately 1,750 stores across 48 states and plans to expand to 2,000 by the end of 2021. Though the company is growing its store count quickly, it is still a relatively small player in the national sandwich game. By comparison, Jersey Mike’s two closest competitors, Subway and Jimmy John’s, operate 24,000 and 2,800 stores in the United States, respectively. Amid state-mandated temporary closures of retail stores and restaurants, Jersey Mike’s was able to continue …
SUFFOLK, VA. — Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer has negotiated the $2.7 million sale of Obici Shops, a 7,600-square-foot retail property in Suffolk. The property is located at 1910 N. Main St., two miles north of downtown Suffolk. The asset was leased to Chartway Federal Credit Union and Jersey Mike’s at the time of sale. Clark Simpson of Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer represented the buyer, Battlefield Consolidated Properties LLC, in the transaction. Venture Obici LLC sold the property.
NEW YORK CITY — Rent the Runway, a New York City-based online service that provides rentals of designer clothes and accessories, will close its stores around the country in order to focus on building its digital platform, according to reports from CNBC and The Wall Street Journal. The New York City-based company will close its stores in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., while its flagship store in New York City will be converted into a permanent drop-off site for product distribution. CNBC reports that the company intends to grow its network of drop-off locations, and has partnered with apparel retailers Nordstrom and West Elm as part of that initiative.