August 2007 Cover Story Features

Cover Story

What’s Up with Multiple-Center Markets?
Once a popular development strategy, the industry is seeing fewer markets with more than one center operated by different developers.

Features

Hurricane Springback
Two years after Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of Prime Outlets at Gulfport, Miss., the 302,866-sf outlet center is rebounding.

Expansions Announced
The Walk, an outlet center in Atlantic City, N.J., and Rio Grande Valley Premium Outlets in Mercedes, Texas, announce expansion plans.

Mikasa Exits
Mikasa, one of the outlet industry’s better known brands, will close its outlet stores by yearend.

Nautilus/Pearl Izumi
Fitness conglomerate Nautilus opens its 12th Pearl Izumi in a decade - named for a 50-year-old Japanese brand Nautilus acquired in 2005 - at Woodburn (Ore.) Company Stores.

“American Idol” Q&A
In a Q&A with VRN, Tanger director of marketing and promotions Mike Buescher talks about this spring’s partnership with the red-hot “American Idol” TV show and Coca Cola.

Software Coup
Prime Retail develops new software that gives outlet-industry execs the ability to instantly know if a retail space is available, or how a build-out is progressing.

Green Center
Dubbing itself “America’s First Environmentally Healthy Shopping Experience,” Manchester (Vt.) Designer Outlets has a lot to boast about.

Ultra-Movie Addition
Cobb adds a 20,000-sf cineplex to its existing facilities in Miami’s Dolphin Mall, which will be smaller but more upscale. And guests will need to be at least 21 to buy a ticket.

Convention News
The outlet industry’s only dedicated annual convention, to be Sept. 27-28 in New Jersey, will introduce a group of apparel and footwear manufacturers to outlet retailing. Nominations are sought for the Fourth Annual Outlet Retail Chain Awards, to be presented at the convention.

Vegas Session
International outlet retail continues to grow internationally, according to a recent session at the ICSC Spring Convention in Las Vegas

Departments

News Up Front
The 13th Annual Pig-N-Whistle BBQ might have been the best one yet. And Horizon gets ready to buy three Prime Retail locations in Burlington, Wash., Oshkosh, Wis., and Fremont, Ind. Plus two stories out of California: an outlet center is proposed along the U.S./Mexico border in Calexico, and Tahoe Truckee Factory Stores sells for $12.3 million.