SAN FRANCISCO — Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS), a longtime apparel tenant in enclosed regional malls nationwide, has announced plans to close 350 stores under its Banana Republic and Gap banners in an effort to transition focus to e-commerce and off-mall retail locations. Store closures are scheduled for completion by fiscal year 2023, which ends Feb. 1, 2024, with 75 percent scheduled to close in 2021. By that time, the company expects 80 percent of its revenue to come from e-commerce and off-mall locations, including street-front retail stores and shops in strip and outlet centers. Gap is the latest mall staple to shutter locations amid struggles due to the COVID-19 pandemic, following Ascena Retail Group — the parent company of Ann Taylor, Justice, Loft, Lane Bryant, Catherines and Lou & Grey — Bed Bath & Beyond, J.C. Penney and GNC. Gap’s comparable sales were up 13 percent at the end of the second quarter, due in large part to an expanded focus on e-commerce and to the success of the company’s activewear brand, Athleta, which saw a 6 percent increase in sales during the quarter. The company also began producing and selling face masks at the start of the pandemic, sales …
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF. — Newmark has arranged the sale of a mixed-use building located at 139 S. Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills. Sakioka Farms, which owned the asset for more than 70 years, sold the property to Hakim Family for $36.1 million, or $1,216 per square foot. The three-story building features 29,735 rentable square feet with high-street retail on the ground floor and two levels of office space above. Additionally, the asset features a surface parking area. Kevin Shannon, Rob Hannan, Ken White, Laura Stumm, Michael Moll, Sean Fulp and Jay Luchs of Newmark represented the seller. The buyer, led by Sam Hakim, was self-represented in the deal.
NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. — Year-over-year revenue for Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) increased 14.1 percent to $1.6 billion for third-quarter 2020. Digital sales soared 202.5 percent to $776.4 million, accounting for 48.8 percent of sales for the period. The company’s net income was $80.2 million. Despite the sales increase, the net income is a decrease from $98.6 million in third-quarter 2019 as expenses increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to increased revenue, the Newport Beach-based fast-casual chain opened 44 new restaurants and closed three locations during the third quarter, bringing the total restaurant count to 2,710. The company rolled out its “Chipotlane” drive thru at 26 of the 44 new restaurants. The chain also saw its restaurant-level operating margin dip to 19.5 percent, a decrease from 20.8 percent in third-quarter 2019. As of Sept. 30, Chipotle has $1.1 billion in cash, investments and restricted cash, and no debt, along with a $600 million untapped credit facility with which to continue to navigate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
MINNEAPOLIS — Ahead of the holiday shopping season, Minneapolis-based Target Corp. is adding more safety measures for shoppers in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Customers can download the Target app to utilize contactless payment options and employees throughout the store will have handheld checkout devices to make purchases more convenient. Shoppers can even reserve a spot in line by checking on their specific Target store on the website. Target is also doubling the number of curbside pickup parking spaces. Customers can show their barcode through the car window and maintain social distance. Target also announced that it would award more than 350,000 team members another $200 bonus. This includes hourly team members in stores, distribution centers and contact centers. It also includes seasonal hires.
JOHNSTON, WATERLOO AND URBANDALE, IOWA — Matthews Real Estate Investment Services has brokered the sale of three standalone properties, each occupied by Walgreens, in Iowa for $9.8 million. The assets are located at 6200 Merle Hay Road in Johnston, 3910 University Ave. in Waterloo and 4600 86th St. in Urbandale. Robert Goldberg, Ben Snyder and Bill Pedersen of Matthews brokered the transaction. The portfolio traded at a cap rate of 6.9 percent, but buyer and seller information was not disclosed.
HAGERSTOWN, MD. — Neuman Commercial Group LLC has arranged the $13.2 million sale of Hagerstown Shopping Center, a 124,000-square-foot shopping center in Hagerstown. The property was fully leased at the time of sale to 16 tenants including Aldi, Family Dollar, Mr. Tire, AutoZone, McCormick Paints, Super Shoe and Papa John’s. Hagerstown Shopping Center is situated at 503 Dual Highway, less than one mile from downtown Hagerstown and eight miles south of the Maryland-Pennsylvania state border. Gil Neuman of Neuman Commercial Group represented the seller, Bon Aviv Investments, in the sale. Neuman also procured the buyer, an undisclosed private family management office.
MIRAMAR, FLA. — Deerfield Beach, Fla.-based Konover South LLC has broken ground on Miramar Park Place, a 56,600-square-foot retail center in Miramar. Tenants, which include Flannigan’s, World of Beer, Jersey Mike’s and Starbucks, are expected to open in summer 2021. Konover South, in partnership with Master Development Partners of Dania Beach, Fla., purchased the property in October 2019. R.A. Rodgers Construction Co., based in Altamonte Springs, Fla., is the general contractor. City National Bank provided a $20 million construction loan for the project.
PLANO, TEXAS — J.C. Penney has drafted and filed an asset purchase agreement (APA), effectively moving the Plano-based retailer one step closer to concluding negotiations for its acquisition by Brookfield Asset Management and Simon Property Group, a $1.75 billion deal that was announced in September. J.C. Penney CEO Jill Soltau described this filing as “another important milestone in our restructuring plan” that should help the company shed its Chapter 11 bankruptcy status in time for the holiday shopping season. A hearing to seek court approval for the transaction is expected to be scheduled for early November 2020. If court approval is received and other closing conditions in the APA are met, the sale of J.C. Penney’s retail and operating assets should close by December, company officials said.
CASSVILLE, MO. — Westco Home Furnishings Co. has signed a 10-year, 13,325-square-foot retail lease at Cassville Plaza in Southwest Missouri’s Cassville. The furniture retailer maintains 12 locations across Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. Midwest Retail Properties (MRP) owns Cassville Plaza, which is a Walmart-anchored shopping center. Other tenants at the property include Tractor Supply and Dollar Tree. Westco is relocating from its current space on 8th Street. Tom Heintz of MRP is working with Westco to manage the buildout of the space. Westco anticipates opening for business at the new location in February.
ST. PETERS, MO. — Pappy’s Smokehouse is the latest business to join the tenant roster at The Shoppes at Mid Rivers in the suburban St. Louis community of St. Peters. The 2,800-square-foot restaurant is expected to open by the end of this month. This is the second location for Pappy’s, which serves signature dry-rubbed baby back ribs. GBT Realty Corp. owns The Shoppes at Mid Rivers, which opened in 2018 and is home to a mix of retailers such as Academy Sports, HomeGoods, Ulta, Marshalls and Outback Steakhouse.