Retail news: mall and brand expansion

Ahold has been granted permission from the Czech Office of Fair Trading to purchase the local Spar stores.

According to the How study, Western European consumers’ interest in high street and smaller shopping centres is increasing, however Eastern European shoppers prefer large centres.

Nordstrom is set to place Wanelo in more than 100 of its stores by using a television display that will scroll through users’ most highly rated products.

In the latest shake-up at Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT), 13 merchandising executives have been named.

New data shows a decline in the number of vacant stores across the UK, however the figures between north and south vary greatly.

Construction in Britain experienced its slowest pace during May. However, according to economists there is a strong outlook in view of the house building boom. 

AFI Europe has secured €220m from a consortium of banks to refinance the shopping mall, AFI Palace Cotroceni in Bucharest.

Coach Inc., the leather retailer, is in the process of developing plans for a multi-year transformation which will focus on a new branding strategy across the world.

Westfield Group, the shopping centre giant in Australia, has been given the shareholder go-ahead to split the empire. 

<p class="p1">Taubman Centers Inc. developed Stony Point more than ten years ago and is set to sell the mall along with six other centers to Starwood Capital Group. </p>

An affiliate linked to Starwood Capital Group is set to purchase a portfolio of seven malls in five different states from Taubman Centers Inc.Starwood Retail Partners is set to pay $785m in cash and either assume or repay $620m in debt for this deal.

Scotch & Soda are aiming to build a network of stores in mainland China, Taiwan, Macau and Hong Kong.