NEW CANEY, TEXAS — Lowe’s (NYSE: LOW) will open a 1.5 million-square-foot distribution center on the northern outskirts of Houston, creating about 200 jobs in the process, according to reports from multiple news outlets including Community Impact Newspaper and the Houston Business Journal. According to the former publication, the home improvement retailer’s new center will be located along Gene Campbell Road in New Caney at the East Montgomery County Improvement District’s industrial park. Local ABC affiliate abc13.com also reports that the facility is expected to open in July and represents approximately $65 million in public and private capital investment. The stock price of Lowe’s opened at $151.99 per share on Friday, Dec. 3, up from $115 per share a year ago.
PLANO, TEXAS — At Home Group Inc. (NYSE: HOME) reported a 47.5 percent increase in net sales for its third fiscal quarter that ended on Oct. 24 relative to its fiscal third quarter in 2019. At Home has now achieved 21.5 percent growth in net sales on a year-to-date basis. The Plano-based home improvement retailer also reported $47.1 million in net income for its third quarter, a substantial increase from the $14.6 million net loss posted in the third quarter of 2019. The company currently operates 219 stores in 40 states. In a call with shareholders, At Home CEO Lee Bird noted the company was currently enjoying its lowest leverage ratio since going public. In addition, Bird said that At Home’s “real estate opportunities are only getting stronger,” and that the company had “the potential to grow our store base nearly three times larger.” At Home’s stock price opened at $18.86 per share on Thursday, Dec. 3, up from $8.24 per share a year ago.
SEATTLE — Hudson Pacific Properties (NYSE: HPP) and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) have agreed to acquire a 36-story office tower anchored by Amazon in Seattle. The companies plan to form a joint venture to purchase the 668,000-square-foot property located at 1918 8th Ave. for $625 million. CPP Investments will own a 45 percent interest in the joint venture, while Hudson Pacific will own 55 percent and act as general partner and as property, leasing and construction manager. The seller was not disclosed, but multiple media outlets report J.P. Morgan Chase has owned the property since 2011 when affiliates bought the asset from developer Schnitzer West LLC. The property is 98 percent leased with an average remaining lease term of 10 years. Amazon is the largest tenant and occupies a majority of the building, which the Seattle-based e-commerce giant dubs the Blackfoot building. The LEED Platinum-certified tower features a multi-level lobby, great room, central conferencing facility and large fitness center. The office tower is situated in downtown Seattle’s Denny Triangle neighborhood near Hill7, an office tower that Hudson Pacific and CPP Investments purchased in 2016. The property is also near Washington 1000, an office development that Hudson Pacific …
NEW YORK CITY AND MAHWAH, N.J. — Premium Apparel LLC, an affiliate of New York City-based private equity firm Sycamore Partners, has entered into an agreement to purchase multiple clothing brands from Mahwah-based Ascena Retail Group (OTCMKTS: ASNAQ) for $540 million. The apparel and footwear brands in question include Ann Taylor, LOFT, Lane Bryant and Lou & Grey. Under the terms of the deal, which is expected to close by mid-December, Premium Apparel will acquire the brands on a cash-free and debt-free basis. Premium Apparel did not specify how many of brick-and-mortar stores will be affected by the transaction, but the new ownership did say that it remains committed to retaining a “substantial portion” of stores and employees affiliated with these brands. “Ann Taylor, LOFT, Lane Bryant and Lou & Grey are well-known brands, each with passionate associates and loyal customers,” says Stefan Kaluzny, managing director of Sycamore Partners. “These brands have significant potential, and we are excited about the opportunity to partner with Ascena’s talented team to continue delivering new and relevant experiences for customers.” Ascena Retail Group, which operated about 1,500 stores throughout the country as of late August, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July. In September, …
RICHFIELD, MINN. — Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY) reported that its comparable store sales grew 23 percent in the third quarter versus the same period a year ago, a figure CEO Corie Barry called “remarkable.” The Richfield, Minn.-based retailer’s third quarter ended Oct. 31. Barry cited the company’s supply chain expertise, flexible store operating model and ability to shift quickly to digital for the growth in sales. Best Buy’s domestic online sales grew 174 percent in the third quarter. Barry also explained that there is elevated demand for products that help customers work, learn, cook, entertain and connect from home throughout the pandemic that is accelerating Best Buy’s growth. Best Buy reported third-quarter net income of $391 million, up from $293 million a year earlier. The retailer’s stock price closed at $122.04 per share Monday, Nov. 23, up from $74.25 per share one year ago.
Dick’s Sporting Goods Reports 23.2 Percent Third-Quarter Sales Increase, Announces Leadership Change
PITTSBURGH — Dick’s Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS) reported a 23.2 percent increase in same-store sales for its fiscal third quarter that ended on Oct. 31, the company’s best performance in same-store sales since going public nearly two decades ago. In addition, the Pittsburgh-based retailer saw its e-commerce sales rise by 95 percent relative to the third quarter of 2019, ending the period with roughly $1.1 billion in cash. Net income for the third quarter stood at approximately $177 million, a healthy 67 percent increase from the $57.5 million in net income reported in the third quarter of last year. Dick’s Sporting Goods also announced that as of Feb. 1, 2021, chairman and CEO Edward Stack will assume the role of executive chairman. Lauren Hobart will be the new president and CEO under the long-term succession plan. The company’s stock price opened at $58.74 per share on Tuesday, up from $40.41 per share a year ago.
ATLANTA — Global investment firm KKR (NYSE: KKR) has acquired a four-building, 1.6 million-square-foot industrial portfolio located throughout the greater Atlanta area for $136 million. The properties were acquired from four different undisclosed sellers. The newly acquired properties consist of three shallow-bay, last-mile distribution assets with an average completion date of 2006. The fourth property is a fulfillment center that was completed in 2020 and is leased to an investment-grade tenant on a long-term basis. “These acquisitions are part of our ongoing effort to expand our industrial portfolio across high-growth Sun Belt markets,” says Roger Morales, partner at KKR and head of the firm’s commercial acquisitions in the Americas. “We are excited to increase our footprint in Atlanta, given the market’s strong supply-demand fundamentals and long-term growth trajectory,” adds Ben Brudney, director at KKR. “These are important acquisitions for us as we continue to develop and diversify our industrial footprint to include both infill and multi-tenant assets, as well as larger, single-tenant fulfillment centers.” KKR is making the investment in the three smaller properties through its Real Estate Partners Americas Fund II. The fourth property represents an investment by KKR’s core plus real estate strategy, its first in Atlanta. KKR’s …
MINNEAPOLIS — Citing its multiple shopping channels and merchandising mix, Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) reported Wednesday that its third-quarter comparable sales grew 20.7 percent compared with the same period a year ago. Digital comparable sales soared 155 percent, accounting for 10.9 percentage points of Target’s comparable sales growth. Same-day services such as order pickup grew 217 percent. “Our strong results in 2020 reflect the benefits of our multi-year effort to build a durable and flexible model, with a suite of fulfillment options,” said Brian Cornell, chairman and CEO, in a prepared statement. “We’ve seen a deepening level of engagement and trust from our guests. The result is unprecedented market share gains and historically strong sales growth, both in our stores and our digital channels.” Target benefits from a “one-stop solution,” stated Cornell in an interview with CNBC. In other words, shoppers can pick up multiple items from groceries to apparel in one trip. Minneapolis-based Target’s stock price closed at $166.85 per share Wednesday, Nov. 18, up from $111.96 per share one year ago. This month, Target reopened two stores in Minneapolis and Atlanta that were destroyed in May due to riots and civil unrest following the George Floyd tragedy. The …
On Nov. 12, Southeast Real Estate Business hosted “What is the Outlook for the Affordable Housing Sector in the Southeast.” Listen to hear how leaders in the industry are coping with challenges from both a developer/owner/investor perspective and a broker/lender perspective. See below for a brief list of topics covered by each panel. Panel One: Developer/Owner/Investor Rising costs for building affordable housing projects Low interest rates offsetting costs Alternative ways to grow the affordable housing stock Do’s and don’ts for general contractors and developers Capital sources Returns — what can affordable housing developers expect? Panel One: Broker/Lender Pandemic impact on existing affordable housing properties/plans for new development Investor appetite Sellers revise their expectations as new buyers enter market Impact of the election on the sector in 2021 Availability of capital for investments currently Developer/Owner/Investor Panel: Marc Padgett, Summit Contracting Group (moderator) Max Cruz, Housing Trust Group Nick Andersen, Development Dominium H. Granvel Tate, III, The Michaels Organization Ray Kuniansky, Columbia Residential Broker/Lender Panel Kyle Shoemaker, Affordable Housing Investment Brokerage (moderator) Derek DeHay, Newmark Eric Taylor, Greystone Real Estate Advisors Sheri Davis, Highland Commercial Mortgage Jeff Rodman, M&T Realty Capital Kevin Morris, Colliers Affordable Housing Group Webinar sponsors: Summit Contracting …
SEATTLE — Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) has launched two pharmacy offerings — Amazon Pharmacy and Amazon Prime prescription savings benefit — enabling customers to purchase and complete prescription medication transactions, as well as access savings on medications when paying without insurance, through the Amazon website or its mobile app. Starting this week, customers age 18 or older will have access to Amazon Pharmacy services in 45 states, excluding Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana and Minnesota. The pharmacy service will accept most forms of insurance and offer discounts on generic and brand-name medications when paying without insurance. As of close on Tuesday, Nov. 17, Amazon shares rose 0.15 percent to $3,135.66. However, stocks of national pharmacies tumbled following the company’s announcement. CVS/pharmacy dropped 8.6 percent, Walgreens lost 9.6 percent and Rite Aid dipped 16.3 percent. Additionally, GoodRx, which helps customers find the best prices on medications, slid 22.5 percent.