‘Real test’ starts now

My Small Business, AU

The Rudd Government’s handouts to stimulate the economy, cheaper petrol and interest rate cuts have combined to create an unprecedented boost in sales at the electrical and homewares retailer Harvey Norman. But the retailer, often seen as a barometer of discretionary spending, has warned that the “real test” for the economy will come after Christmas when shoppers come down from their spending binge …

Mall hungry for activity turns to the arts

Belleville News-Democrat, US

Erin Kelley and John Contini, actors who have performed on stages all over town, pace off a carpet in front of the dressing rooms in an empty Man Alive clothing store in a struggling mall. They’re figuring out the dimensions of Avalon Theatre’s new stage – a prospect that makes Kelley, the troupe’s managing artistic director, choke up with joy …

Falling retail rents give stores a lifeline

The Independent, UK

Retail rents fell for the first time in 15 years in 2008 and will not return to growth until 2013, handing struggling retailers a potential lifeline to stave off administration. The decline in annual rents will give retailers substantially more negotiating power over landlords, as they battle some of the toughest trading conditions on the high street for 30 years and as an extra 2.5 million sq ft of new UK shopping centre space opens in 2009 …

UK dubbed “crime capital of Europe”

Info4Security

The latest Global Retail Theft Barometer suggests that the UK has become the “crime capital of Europe”, with losses due to retail criminality now topping the £4.1 billion mark. The UK is now officially the worst nation in Europe when it comes to theft from retail outlets. Only the global powerhouses that are the USA and Japan can beat us when it comes to a worldwide league table …

Retailers claim plastic bag reduction campaign is working

The National Business Review, NZ

Major retail groups say their voluntary campaign to reduce the use of plastic shopping bags by a fifth is on target to reach the goal by July. Three of the country’s largest retail chains – The Warehouse, Progressive Enterprises/Woolworths and Foodstuffs – signed the Packaging Accord in 2004 to reduce the use of plastic shopping bags in a five-year initiative …

U.S. shopping mall vacancies reach 10-year high

Bloomberg, US

Vacancies at U.S. malls and shopping centers approached 10-year highs in the fourth quarter, and are set to rise further as declining retail sales put more stores out of business, research firm Reis Inc. said …

After sales, will shoppers pay full price again?

The Associated Press, US

Shoppers are getting used to those 75 percent off sale signs, and that’s bad news for merchants who worry they will also have to quickly slash prices on spring goods to attract customers.Anxieties about how rampant discounts have affected shoppers’ psyches and stores’ profits are running high ahead of expected dismal December sales figures on Thursday …

Retailers catch on the to buying power of immigrants

Los Angeles Times, US

Delfino Turan remembers his first trip to a Best Buy store, but not very fondly. Turan, at the time a recent immigrant from Mexico, said he could barely understand what salespeople were saying. What’s more, he couldn’t afford to pay for the purchases he wanted upfront, and the store didn’t offer to extend credit …

Malls, the future of housing?

Housing Wire

…The regional enclosed shopping mall was supposed to be a community center—a little bit of downtown and a car-free haven that would include day care facilities, offices, and, perhaps most importantly, residential living components a stone’s throw from the building; the mall was always supposed to have housing nearby …

It’s boom time for Saint Nick

Seattle PI, US

For about a month each year, Beck is Kriss Kringle at the Bellevue Square mall. And though the economy is reeling, business is better than ever — on a good day, 50 kids an hour may sit on his lap and get their photos taken …

Mall wish trees help provide presents for hundreds

Goldsboro News-Argus, US

More than 650 children and senior citizens in Wayne County will have a much merrier Christmas this year because of holiday shoppers with big hearts.In early November, Berkeley Mall set out three wish trees in the main entrance — one for boys, one for girls and one for senior citizens — where mall goers could help grant a less fortunate neighbor’s Christmas wish …

Youngsters can Get Into retail with new scheme

Edinburgh Evening News, UK
Dozens of youngsters from disadvantaged backgrounds have been signed up for a new retail academy in Edinburgh to learn how to be shop workers. The training programme, Get Into Retail, aims to help those who have faced barriers to employment because of homelessness, family trouble, lack of confidence or long-term unemployment …

German retailers see strong demand despite crisis

Guardian, UK

German retailers reported solid demand in this year’s Christmas shopping season despite the global economic crisis and sales could even exceed last year’s level, the HDE retail association said on Sunday …

Retailers predict Boxing Day shopping frenzy

Perth Now, AU

Perth retailers are predicting a shopping frenzy on Boxing Day as city stores slash prices. Major retailers Myer and David Jones will offer discounts on merchandise across all departments. David Jones Perth store manager Malcolm Reed said he expected Boxing Day trading in Perth city to be “big”…

Holiday shoppers get to malls, hunt for bargins

KDKA, US

Christmas is four days away, Hanukkah starts tonight, and that means last-minute shoppers are running out of time to find the perfect gift for their friends and loved ones. Because this is the last weekend before Christmas it’s considered a make or break time for retailers …

Chavez says mall to be expropriated in Venezuela

Associated Press, US

President Hugo Chavez ordered construction halted on a major shopping mall in Caracas on Sunday, saying the government will expropriate the unfinished building.The Venezuelan leader said it would be out of line with his government’s socialist vision to allow the new Sambil mall to take up precious urban real estate — and that unbridled consumerism isn’t his idea of progress either …

Retailers find Facebook friends in hopes of finding sales

Dallas News, US

Marketers are trying to figure out how to use social networking tools to do what they do best: persuade consumers to buy. They’re watching platforms such as Facebook, which has more than 130 million users worldwide, to see how they can use social commerce without turning consumers off …

Centro soars after bank bailout deal

The Australian, AU

Securities in Centro Properties soared yesterday after financiers extended its $5.05 billion debt deadline for a month and agreed on a long-term rescue plan that effectively gives them ownership …

Shopping mall braced to take ‘up to £1m per hour’

The Independent, UK

The Christmas countdown has begun, with just nine shopping days to go until the big day. Brent Cross Shopping Centre in north west London predicts that its shoppers will be spending an average of £350,000 per hour, increasing to £1 million at its peak …

Shoppers find much to dislike about malls

Delaware Online, US

Close your eyes and you could be in any mall, anywhere … That’s the problem. According to Wharton research, consumers are uninspired by the sameness and predictability of shopping malls …

Caution can take the fear out of gift card purchases

Killeen Daily Herald, US

n an age of hustle and bustle, gift cards as holiday presents are becoming more popular. But in an age of plunging commerce, some people fear card recipients will arrive after Christmas to use their cards only to find locked doors and empty buildings …

Macy’s at Woodfield Mall to stay open 24 hours a day until Christmas Eve

Chicago Tribune, US

Macy’s Inc. plans to keep open its Woodfield Mall store 24 hours a day from Saturday morning through Christmas Eve for the first time in a bid to boost holiday sales during one of the grimmest shopping environments in decades …

Children may have been good, and yet…

New York Times, US

Louis Niko, who has been playing Santa Claus at the Phillipsburg Mall for the past 12 years, still asks the children who bounce on his lap if they have been naughty or nice, but when it comes to taking their gift requests in these difficult economic times, the man dressed in snow-white whiskers and a bright red suit is no longer making promises …

General Growth fails to reach accord on Vegas loans

Bloomberg, US

General Growth Properties Inc., the second-largest U.S. mall owner, failed to reach unanimous agreement with lenders on extending the maturity of $900 million in loans for properties in Las Vegas that were due on Dec. 12. Asked if the company was in default on the Las Vegas loans, General Growth spokesman Tim Goebel said the lenders “haven’t acted against us and we’re talking” …

Shopping spree defies downturn

Press Association, UK

Retailers reported a week’s bumper Christmas shopping spree that has defied the economic downturn and bucked two months of disappointing retail sales figures. Across the country the high streets and shopping centres have seen the numbers of shoppers exceed expectations with just 10 full shopping days remaining before Christmas …

Casuarina Square cop shop open for business

Northern Territory News, AU

Four police officers are now permanently on the beat at Darwin’s troubled Casuarina Square. The constables will patrol the shopping centre and its surrounds during trading hours. They will work closely with the centre’s 24-hour security and will be based at a new police shopfront beside the Body Shop.

Boxing Day sales come early

Calgary Herald, CA

Retailers are giving Calgary consumers a Christmas gift this year — Boxing Day sales are already taking place. “I think retailers are starting to do all their sales a lot earlier this year, including Boxing Day,” said John Torella, senior partner for the J. C. Williams Group Ltd., a retail consultant in Toronto …

Shopping center hosts temporary pet adoption center

CBS 47, US

It’s a new way to provide permanent homes for pets in the Valley. Amidst the holiday sales, you’ll find a new pet center at the River Park Shopping Center in North Fresno …

O, come to mall, ye faithful

Geelong Advertiser, AU

MORE than 30 people made a congregation at Geelong’s Westfield shopping centre yesterday and celebrated its first mass. Geelong Catholic Deanery has opened the Wing And A Prayer chapel, bookshop and pastoral information source in the Westfield building facing Malop St. St Mary’s parish priest Father Kevin Dillon believes the faith hub might be the first of its kind in Australia …

Ho Ho Hello: Shopping center Santa sacked for taking a call on his mobile in front of children

Daily Mail, UK

On their magical annual visit to his grotto, children expect to find Santa ready with a cheery greeting, a booming laugh and a neatly-wrapped gift. They certainly don’t expect him to be on his mobile phone to the JobCentre …

More national chains find small-town success

News Journal, US

More national retailers and restaurants are setting up shop in smaller towns such as Henderson, bringing jobs and increased sales. And as more people decide to settle in low-density areas of the state, retail analysis say the trend is likely to stick around …

Retail sales rise despite slowdown

Herald Sun, AU

Retail sales have surprisingly climbed – and could rise again after today’s interest rate cuts. Retail sales climbed by 0.7 per cent, seasonally adjusted, in October, to $18.403 billion, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said …

This season’s must-have: the humble coupon

New York Times, US

The faltering economy could mean renewed interest in coupons as shoppers refocus on the cost of the products they buy — that is, if they do actually buy anything these days. Coupons that offer cents off — or percents off — the price of things like groceries, clothing and restaurant meals are particularly popular when consumers need to stretch their dollars …

Competition sees new life for aging malls

Arizona Central, US

Imagine Scottsdale stripped of strip malls. A group of architects and designers have taken a soft step in that direction, offering ideas for transforming aging strip malls into vibrant and sustainable community assets. It’s part of Flip a Strip, a design competition sponsored by the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art …