Mall owners, retailers clash over avalanche of online returns
David Simon, CEO of Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group Inc., says a “significant number” of tenants are underreporting sales, costing the nation’s largest mall owner a lot of money.
Shopping Centers
Articles
Carson’s parent Bon-Ton Stores heading for liquidation
The end is near for Bon-Ton Stores, the 160-year-old department store chain that operates more than 250 stores under various names, including Carson's, Younkers and Elder-Beerman.
Circle Centre lands Purdue Polytechnic High School, five other tenants
Purdue Polytechnic plans to operate at the mall for the 2018-19 school year. Other new tenants include three restaurants, an Indiana-themed shop and an executive coaching consultant.
Target chooses site for its first small-format store in Indiana
The national retailer, which is rolling out dozens of non-traditional stores across the country, declined to comment on whether downtown Indianapolis could be a future site.
Sears to auction off its Castleton Square mall store to raise funds
The Indianapolis store is among three in Indiana, and 16 total, that Sears plans to sell and lease back to generate cash for pension obligations.
Kroger drops plan to build massive Marketplace store in Fishers
The Cincinnati-based grocery chain instead is opting to renovate a much smaller existing grocery across the street from where the proposed store would have been built. The decision leaves a massive hole for Kite Realty Group to fill in Fishers Station shopping center.
Babies ‘R’ Us demise sets off scramble for baby registries
The liquidation of Toys “R” Us Inc. has raised a big question: What happens to all the customers who had baby registries at the soon-to-be-defunct retailer?
Brookfield Property to buy Simon Property rival for $9.25 billion
GGP Inc., known as General Growth Properties until changing the name a year ago, is the second-largest U.S. shopping mall owner behind Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group.
Macy’s to open new outlet concept at local shopping center
The retailer is bringing its Macy’s Backstage concept to the Indianapolis area, with an opening set for April 14. The concept has been credited with revitalizing sales at dozens of Macy’s locations.
New Le Peep operator zeroes in on sixth area eatery
Le Peep Restaurants of Indiana was acquired in January by a local investment group intent on making some improvements to the Indianapolis-area restaurants.
Discount grocer Aldi coming to former Marsh site in Nora
The Marsh closed in April 2017 as the grocer teetered toward bankruptcy. Meanwhile, Aldi is on a tear with its plans to modernize existing stores and open new ones.
Demise of Toys ‘R’ Us will force toy makers, landlords to scramble
The company’s troubles have affected toy makers Mattel and Hasbro, which are big suppliers to the chain. But the likely liquidation will have a more significant impact on smaller toy makers that rely more on the chain for sales.
Claire’s on verge of bankruptcy, with creditors taking over
Claire’s Stores Inc., the fashion accessories chain where legions of preteens got their ears pierced, is preparing to file for bankruptcy in the coming weeks, according to people with knowledge of the plans.
Mounds Mall in Anderson closing after 53 years in business
The very first enclosed shopping center developed by mall giant Melvin Simon & Associates is shutting down at the end of the month. The looming closure of anchor tenant Carson’s was the last straw for the struggling property.
Starbucks says empty storefronts are leading to lower rents
Starbucks Corp. Chairman Howard Schultz said he sees a blessing in all the retail vacancies across the United States—landlords are beginning to reduce rents.
Macy’s breaks out of slump with better-than-expected holiday sales
The department store chain, which has three stores in the Indianapolis area, reported a healthy sales gain for the holiday period as it benefited from an improving economy and its own initiatives, like an overhauled customer loyalty program.
After contamination hiatus, Blue Bell ice cream returning to Indiana
The iconic Texas-based brand has been unavailable locally since 2015, when the company recalled all of its products nationwide to deal with a listeria outbreak. In addition to reappearing in stores, Blue Bell is reopening a distribution center in Indianapolis.
Community theater group losing Clay Terrace performance venue
The group has been putting on plays at a space in Carmel’s Clay Terrace shopping center for more than eight years, thanks in large part to the largesse of the landlord. Now it needs to find a new home.
Simon to spiff up struggling Circle Centre with long-awaited renovation
Plans for the “multimillion-dollar” renovation include transforming the food court into a dining pavilion and upgrading lighting and finishes. But the plans don’t address the long-term viability of the struggling mall.
UPDATE: Cookie shop latest tenant to desert Circle Centre
The cookie and ice cream shop’s closure is the latest in a string of recent tenant departures from the downtown Indianapolis mall. The mall recently filed suit against the shop