Content about Geography

Denver -- National Grocers by Vitamin Cottage said Tuesday that its first Arizona store – in Flagstaff – has opened, and will be joined by two additional stores located in Sedona and Prescott.

The privately owned regional grocery chain, which operates 56 stores in 12 states, incorporated environmentally friendly elements into the Flagstaff store. Energy-efficient features include motion light sensors, 100% post-consumer content tiles, polished concrete flooring and commercial-grade LED lights.  And the chain is 100% shopping bag free.

If Hong Kong is part of your global expansion initiatives, be prepared to pay the freight.

The most recent retail rent report from CBRE Group labeled Hong Kong as the world’s most expensive retail destination, bettering New York City (No. 2) and Sydney, Australia (No. 3).

Spartanburg, S.C. -- Denny's Corp. said Wednesday that it has opened its first restaurant in the Dominican Republic as part of a development agreement with Grupo Nahas, which owns and operates the Intercontinental Hotel and Holiday Inn, among others, in Santo Domingo. 

Located in the Food Court of the Las Americas International Airport in Santo Domingo, the new restaurant represents Denny's first airport location worldwide.

Boston -- The Wilder Cos. announced the addition of Jo-Ann Fabric & Crafts at two of its New Hampshire shopping centers.

Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts recently opened at Belknap Mall, the only enclosed shopping mall north of Concord. The new store joins Peebles Department Store, Shaw’s, Maurices, Lakes Region Jewelers, CVS and Dunkin Donuts at the 218,500-sq.-ft. mall.

Shanghai, China -- Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group, along with Chinese retail conglomerate Bailian Group, announced plans to jointly develop a branded Premium Outlet Center in Pudong, Shanghai, China.

Simon Property Group is the world's largest developer, owner and operator of outlet shopping centers, with interests in 70 Premium Outlet Centers located in the United States, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

San Diego -- PriceSmart announced that on January 9, 2012 it entered into an agreement to acquire approximately 16,038 square meters of property in La Union, Cartago, Costa Rica, upon which it plans to build its sixth warehouse club in Costa Rica.

PriceSmart currently anticipates opening the Cartago Club in the summer 2013 in the market area where local Costa Rican press has reported that Sam's Club plans to operate its first warehouse in the Costa Rica market.

Arlington, Va. -- The Retail Industry Leaders Association said Thursday that it will hold the first-ever Labor and Employment Law Forum on March 21-22, at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

The conference is intended to provide insights from members of Congress, legal experts and retailers on the latest issues on labor and employment law affecting the retail industry.

New York City -- Forever 21 signed an agreement Tuesday to open a flagship in Beijing, China, one part of a plan by the fast-fashion retailer to expand into the world’s largest emerging consumer market, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The Los Angeles-based chain will open a 24,000-sq-.ft. store in a multi-story mall located in Beijing’s central shopping district, Wangfujing, with additional stores set to open in Shanghai and Hong Kong, the report said.

Every year, in December, Chain Store Age examines the northeastern region — New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island — and, in 2011, there appears to be some positive momentum.

Retail real estate executives will tell you that we’re not completely out of the woods yet, but the industry is certainly inching in the right direction.

Beijing -- Local Chinese newspaper the People’s Daily reported Thursday that, just two days after re-opening all 13 stores in Chongqing following a forced two-week closure for mislabeling regular pork as organic, the retailer has been called out for selling expired coffee in one of its Chongqing stores.

Wal-Mart’s Beijing-based spokeswoman Christina Lee said the retailer is currently investigating the case.

Beijing -- The Xinhua News Agency in Beijing, China, said that Wal-Mart Stores has reopened 13 stores in Chongqing after being forced by authorities to close the stores for 15 days over the mislabeling of regular pork as organic.

Chongqing authorities had also arrested two employees and fined the company $421,000 on charges of passing off regular pork as higher-priced organic meat earlier in October.

Beachwood, Ohio -- DDR Corp. said Thursday that six new national tenants will occupy former Borders locations in Puerto Rico, New Jersey, Georgia, Ohio and Missouri.

PetSmart's newest Puerto Rico store will be located in the former Borders location at Plaza Escorial, a 636,000-sq.-ft. power center in Carolina, anchored by Walmart, Sam's Club, Home Depot, Old Navy and Caribbean Cinemas. In 2010, DDR introduced PetSmart to Puerto Rico and this store marks the fourth PetSmart location in a DDR center on the island.