Bay Area Retail

[Cal_Escapee]

Wal-Mart beats down local opposition to small store sites
San Francisco Business Times by Blanca Torres, Reporter
Date: Tuesday, April 3, 2012, 1:27pm PDT
Wal-Mart is close to introducing its Neighborhood Market concept to the Bay Area.
Blanca Torres

Bay Area residents have a track record of killing Wal-Mart stores at the approval stage, but the retailer’s smaller Neighborhood Market stores are so far doing a better job of securing the go-ahead.

In Hayward local residents are challenging a planning commission approval of a proposed Neighborhood Market store that is slated to take over a former Circuit City space. Hayward’s Planning Commission will hold a hearing on the appeal at a meeting Thursday. Last month, Pleasanton’s planning commission denied a similar appeal of a site approval, allowing that site to move forward . . . .

Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) has so far identified four sites in the Bay Area to set up its first Neighborhood Markets in the region in San Ramon, Pleasanton, San Jose and Hayward.

The mega-retailer has opened about 168 of the market stores in the United States, but has just begun penetrating the west coast . . . .

Source: http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfranci....html?page=all

PUT ONE DOWNTOWN! Give overpriced boutique retail some competition. I can think of several great sites that have been vacant for years, starting with the old Honda Motorcycle dealership at Van Ness & Eddy.

[Cal_Escapee]

Updated April 9, 2012, 12:52 p.m. ET
Uniqlo Expansion Takes Retailer Out to West Coast
By DANA MATTIOLI

Uniqlo is opening its first West Coast location, part of a plan to open hundreds of stores in the U.S. at a time when domestic retailers are retrenching. Dana Mattioli has exclusive details on Lunch Break. Photo: AP

Japanese clothing chain Uniqlo is opening its first West Coast location as parent Fast Retailing Co. rolls out its plan to open hundreds of stores in the U.S., even as American retailers are retrenching.

The 29,000-square-foot San Francisco store, near where Gap Inc. first opened its doors, heralds more pressure on U.S. retailers already battered by foreign competitors. Uniqlo is also scouting locations in Los Angeles and other California cities, says U.S. Chief Executive Shin Odake.

Uniqlo's three existing U.S. stores all are in New York City. The San Francisco store will open in the fall . . . .

Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...EYWORDS=Uniqlo

[Cal_Escapee]

[612bv3]

Originally Posted by Cal_Escapee

Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...EYWORDS=Uniqlo

It's going to be at 111 Powell.

[SF1977]

Originally Posted by 612bv3

It's going to be at 111 Powell.

Yes! Here's another little blurb about it from the SF Business Times:

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfranci...pen-first.html

[Cal_Escapee]

April 18, 2012, 11:01 AM
Westfield Sells Shopping Malls to Starwood for $1.15 Billion
By Gillian Tan

Global property developer Westfield Group says it will sell eight non-core shopping centers in the U.S. for $1.15 billion.

“The proceeds from the transactions will initially pay down corporate debt and then be redeployed in higher return redevelopment opportunities in the U.S., including the World Trade Center,” Westfield Group co-chief executive officer Peter Lowy said in a statement.

Starwood Capital Group will take a 90% stake in seven centers . . . .

Source: http://blogs.wsj.com/dealjournalaust...ORDS=Westfield

In the print edition of the WSJ, the article listed the properties being sold. One of them is San Francisco's Metreon.

[612bv3]

Metreon can't catch a break. I was there a few days ago and it looks like it's starting to get better.

[Cal_Escapee]

Originally Posted by 612bv3

Metreon can't catch a break. I was there a few days ago and it looks like it's starting to get better.

Starwood is a good organization. I don't think this is necessarily bad for them. I can even see benefits to having two such powerful outfits--Starwood and Westfield--competing almost across the street (Mission St.), although Westfield must not be too worried about competition or they wouldn't be selling.

The print article also mentioned that the theme for Westfield is to divest "medium sized" malls and keep the biggies. That means Metreon goes, SF Center is a keeper.

[SF1977]

Yeah, the remodeled Metreon is looking great. I think it'll do just fine once the restaurants are built out and the Target is up and running.

[Cal_Escapee]

Best Buy to close two Bay Area locations
San Francisco Business Times by John Sailors
Date: Monday, April 16, 2012, 6:58am PDT - Last Modified: Tuesday, April 17, 2012, 9:48am PDT

Best Buy has named the stores it plans to close including its locations in Pittsburg and East Palo Alto.

The retailer is also shuttering its store in Manteca and four other California cities . . . .

Source: http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfranci...locations.html

[Cal_Escapee]

Hard to believe H&M has been in San Francisco long enough for one of its stores to require a makeover, but it's true. The now-25,000-square-foot Westfield San Francisco Centre store reopened Thursday after a six-month renovation with a new lower level housing a men's department, plus a more "fashion-forward" interior and fixtures. The first 250 shoppers in line each day ending Sunday received gift passes and giveaways. And that isn't the only change at Westfield: Look for new doors Franchesca's Collection and Ecco (level 2), Steve Madden and Fossil (level 3), Henri Hubert San Francisco (level 4) and more food options throughout the center.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...LV1V1OD23M.DTL

[Cal_Escapee]

NikeTown in S.F. to get new name, new look
Andrew S. Ross, Chronicle Columnist
Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Swoosh! Just like that, NikeTown will soon disappear from San Francisco.

The 50,000-square-foot store, an anchor tenant in Union Square for the past 15 years, will be closing within the next 12 months for a complete remodeling, according to two company sources.

When it reopens, it will be called NikeSF, or Nike San Francisco, I'm told, as part of a nationwide rebranding exercise by the Beaverton, Ore., athletic apparel giant. Similar changes are taking place at the NikeTown in Chicago, which closed for remodeling in March, and will be called Nike Chicago, said the sources . . . .

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...BUCA1OI9IP.DTL

[Cal_Escapee]

I guess this is "retail":

May 16, 2012, 8:08 p.m. ET
Feisty New Player in Newspaper Fray
Todd Vogt Is Buying Local Publications and Ragging on Rivals
By SHIRA OVIDE

Todd Vogt, leader of an investor group that recently agreed to buy the San Francisco Bay Guardian—a left-leaning weekly that boasts of "printing the news and raising hell"—has plans to raise some of his own as a combative newcomer in the local newspaper industry.

The investor group's deal to acquire the Guardian in April followed its purchase in December of the San Francisco Examiner. Deal prices weren't disclosed. Mr. Vogt, 44 years old, says he may not stop there, and would like to piece together a Bay Area newspaper chain . . . .

To save money and free up Guardian staff to focus on news coverage, Mr. Vogt plans for the Examiner to take over some business functions from the Guardian, including printing copies of the weekly paper. Mr. Vogt has pledged to continue the Guardian's progressive viewpoints as he works to steady the paper's finances and perhaps buy another newspaper . . . .

The Bay Guardian and Examiner: Corporate siblings. Will wonders never cease? Now whose election endorsements can I read (in order to vote the opposite to what they recommend)?

[Cal_Escapee]

A mega-Walgreens is headed for lower Powell Street
C.W. Nevius, Chronicle Columnist

An epic Walgreens store - "unlike anything you've ever seen," according to District Manager Dave Devencenzi - is planned for lower Powell Street, just off the cable car line. The store will remodel the lower floor of the existing Walgreens and then expand upstairs to take over Lori's Diner, which is moving up the street . . . .

It will feature its own bakery, a custom cosmetics department, fresh produce, a juice and coffee bar, and fine wines and alcohol. First, however, the location must have a liquor license approved.

. . . there are only two like it in the country, one in New York City and the other in Chicago.

At the Chicago grand opening in January, a Tribune reporter gushed about the sushi bar, mini health spa and $2,000 bottle of cognac . . . .

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/nevius...et-3694215.php

[Cal_Escapee]

LA's Littlejohn's Candies Is Coming To Market Street
Friday, August 3, 2012, by Carolyn Alburger

Los Angeles old-timer treasure Littlejohns Candies is currently building out its first candy shop/English toffee house outside of LA in the former furniture store at 1422 Market Street. Littlejohn's has been doing its thing for about as long as our local See's Candies, and they've been in the same spot at the Farmers Market in LA since 1946 . . . . Littlejohn's San Francisco, a local candy kitchen and retail outpost that's been six years in the works, will be just about a half block from the new Twitter enclave (1355 Market). There will be a chocolate window looking onto Market Street, allowing passers-by to see the candy-making process. A huge retail case and an open kitchen with copper kettles will populate the interior.

The plan is to serve the exact same signature products they do down South: English toffee, handmade fudge, salted caramels, hand-dipped hand-rolled chocolates, these marshmallow caramel things, and more . . . .

http://sf.eater.com/archives/2012/08...ket_street.php

[Cal_Escapee]

Virtually all of the ground floor commercial tenants have moved out of the Odd Fellows building in front of the Civic Center BART/MUNI station on the corner of 7th. It is the building that had a few Asian "restaurants," a Payday Loans, a barber shop, and a liquor store . . . .

The 1909 building was designed by G.A. Dodge as a meeting hall for the Odd Fellows Fraternal Order, who occupied the upper three floors while the first three floors were leased out. The Odd Fellows arrived in San Francisco during the Gold Rush and were housed on the site in previous buildings since the 1880s. In 1917, the store fronts were remodeled by architect Earl Bertz.

Building permits from June 2012 indicate that the ground floor will be occupied by CVS . . . . The entrance will be located at the corner where the cash checking business used to be, though it's unclear if the pharmacy will take up the entire ground floor retail space.

http://sf.curbed.com/archives/2012/0...lding.php#more

This change at 7th & Market is more excellent news for Mid-Market. This is one of the few areas downtown that actually needs a new drugstore since the Merrill's that was on the next block forever closed a few years ago. And one lest check cashing business is a good thing. The Chinese take-out place actually wasn't bad, though.

[Cal_Escapee]

I feel like screaming Hallelujah!

After 30 years of vacancy, the old Honda motorcycle dealership at Van Ness & Eddy is being fixed up (covered by scaffolding at the moment) and I was told today by one of the workers a Mini Cooper dealership is moving in.

[SF1977]

Some big retail news for Market St...

Levi Strauss & Co. will move its flagship store out of Union Square next summer, opting instead to perch on the doorstep of burgeoning Mid-Market.
On the same block as the Westfield San Francisco Centre, Levi’s is snuggling up next to Old Navy, which is downsizing to accommodate the new tenant. At 22,000 square feet, the new Levi’s shop at 815 Market St. will be a little smaller than the retailer’s current location. However, the space is more conducive to the company’s needs, according to a Levi’s spokeswoman.
“Market Street is a growing destination for both international and local shoppers,” said Levi’s Kris Marubio. “The move gives us an opportunity to reach more Levi’s enthusiasts and to provide the best expression of who we are as a brand to shoppers in San Francisco.”
It’s one of a growing number of signs that as real estate around Union Square tightens, stores are growing the shopping district in all directions and sending even more retailers south down Market Street. Converse shoe store, for example, has signed a lease to move onto the street at 838 Market, while Game Stop has claimed 800 Market. Marshall’s also signed a new lease on 760 Market earlier this year.
“Union Square is getting bigger,” said Vikki Johnson of Colliers International. “The density is growing downtown and retail is following suit. It’s shifting and expanding.”

Source and the rest of the article:
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfranci...-flagship.html

[SF1977]

Originally Posted by Cal_Escapee

I feel like screaming Hallelujah!

After 30 years of vacancy, the old Honda motorcycle dealership at Van Ness & Eddy is being fixed up (covered by scaffolding at the moment) and I was told today by one of the workers a Mini Cooper dealership is moving in.

Yes!!! Such a great building. Been dark for too long.

[fieldsofdreams]

Originally Posted by SF1977

Some big retail news for Market St...

Source and the rest of the article:
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfranci...-flagship.html

No wonder why Old Navy covered up the northeast part of their flagship store... It'll be good to see both Levi's and Old Navy coexist in one prime spot indeed. The next question is: what would become of the future-vacant Levi's store on Stockton and Post?