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Graff Chooses South Coast Plaza for Its First Standalone SoCal Salon
By Dorothy Crouch, contributing writer | November 9, 2023
South Coast Plaza recently welcomed luxury jewelry-maker Graff to the Jewel Court section of its Costa Mesa, Calif., space.

A Unique Blend of Community, Commerce at The Shops at Sportsmen’s Lodge
A historically rich Studio City, Calif., site will experience a renewal as The Shops at Sportsmen’s Lodge welcomes visitors during late summer or early fall 2021 following a $100 million redevelopment. The 95,000-square-foot space will replace the property’s formerly occupied meeting-and-convention area.

DJM Recapitalizes Lido Marina Village, Updates Center’s Looks, Stores
DJM, a lifestyle-retail-center developer with offices in Los Angeles and San Jose, Calif., recently announced a $70 million recapitalization of its Lido Marina Village retail center in Newport Beach, Calif.

Moss Adams Evaluates Pandemic World
After a harsh year navigating COVID-19, retailers will be greeted by a robust economy in the third and fourth quarters of 2021, said Frank Kaufman, national practice leader in retail for the accounting and consulting firm Moss Adams.

Fred Segal, Retail Innovator, 87
Fred Segal was considered the founder of the specialty-retail approach that ushered in an influential Los Angeles and California sense of cool. He died Feb. 25 in Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif.

NRF Forecasts Robust Retail Rally by Mid-2021
U.S. retail sales are forecast to make a big rally this year. Sales are expected to grow between 6.5 percent to 8.2 percent to more than $4.33 trillion, according to the National Retail Federation.

What's Checking: Indie Retailers Ramp Up Digital Commerce During Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic forced retailers across industries to go on a crash course developing and scaling up their e-commerce. For many in the apparel industry, this platform saved their businesses. Applying principles of convenience to allure customers to their shops, including personal styling, shopping-incentive discounts, complimentary delivery and curbside pickup, fashion businesses also relied on selling through digital boutiques.

NRF Big Show Charts How Retail Survived COVID
The National Retail Federation’s NRF 2021: Retail’s Big Show—Chapter One, an annual exposition that produces seminars and keynote addresses by industry stars, went virtual because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Patel Named Beverly Center GM
Taubman Properties recently announced that Elvina Patel was named general manager of the high-profile Los Angeles Beverly Center, a mall that focuses on high-end fashion, such as Balenciaga, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Prada.

NTWRK Hires Colby Black of Urban Outfitters
NTWRK, a Los Angeles-headquartered mobile-first video-shopping platform, has aimed to be a pioneer in digital commerce since launching in 2018. It announced on Jan. 13 that it had hired Colby Black, an executive from Urban Outfitters, to be its first chief merchandising officer.

After 81 Years Selling Hat Supplies, Unique DTLA Shop May Close
The California Millinery Supply Co., located at 721 S. Spring St. in downtown Los Angeles’ Fashion District, sells hat-making supplies and accessories. For decades, film, television and theater productions, fashion designers and craftspeople have purchased hat frames, feathers, ribbons and veiling to make period headwear as well as new styles.

2020 Holiday Sales Beat NRF Forecasts
The National Retail Federation reported on Jan. 15 that business for the 2020 holiday season was surprisingly strong. Sales grew 8.3 percent to $789.4 billion, beating the prominent trade group’s forecast of 3.6 percent to 5.2 percent growth.

At CMC Uploaded, Dan Jablons of Retail Smart Guys Discusses Plans for 2021
Dan Jablons moonlights as an actor and appeared on the television show “Curb Your Enthusiasm” as the lawyer for comedian Larry David. But for more than 15 years he has run the Los Angeles–headquartered consultancy Retail Smart Guys.

With Holiday Sales Up, Now Retailers Must Strategize for 2021
Initial reports from the 2020 holiday season were recently released, and retail sales experienced growth during a year fraught with challenges. Retail sales charted from Oct. 11 to Dec. 24 grew 3 percent, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse, which researches consumer spending on the Mastercard payments network.

Organized Retail Theft Surges, Study Says
Organized retail crime—or shoplifting and cargo theft committed by professional thieves—has been surging, according to the 16th annual Organized Retail Crime study released Dec. 15 by the National Retail Federation trade group.

Super Saturday to Mark the Final Sprint in an Unpredictable Holiday Season
The 2020 holiday-retail season is preparing for its final run on Dec. 19, or Super Saturday. The Saturday before Christmas has traditionally been one of the busiest shopping days of the year.