Shopping Centers Today is the news magazine of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
Issue link: https://sct.epubxp.com/i/331061
retail business have allowed me to develop a long list of business contacts and relationships," Marsh said. "In addition, I have had the opportunity to experience dealing with all varieties of retail venues and situations. Having those strong relationships and diverse experiences should allow me to make an immediate contribution to Rack Room's real estate strategy." He says he is most excited about using the many new real estate software systems that Rack Room Shoes has developed. Meanwhile, Kirk Light, former vice president of real estate and store planning for Shoe Carnival and then for Stein Mart, joined Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse as real estate director. He says the fast pace at Shoe Carnival helped hone his abili- ties as a real estate professional and also his communications and social skills. The experience at Stein Mart broadened his real estate perspective. "While the skills used in selecting big- box locations are essentially the same as selecting small-box real estate, being a mini-anchor deal maker often afforded me a first look at up-and-coming opportunities in existing centers and new shopping center developments," Light said. "Now, as real estate director for Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse, I can use the hard-learned pragmatics from Shoe Carnival doing small-box deals while taking advantage of being a big-box user of space in preferred developments. I look forward to using the tools that I have collected over the years and to continue to build the land- lord [and] retailer relationships that are critical to success in this business." Light will be concentrating on promoting the ware- house concept nationally for Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse. Marsh and Light bring to the table a total of some 60 years of real estate experience. "There is a wealth of industry knowl- edge and experience already in place," Brown said. "Adding Scot and Kirk to the team is an added bonus. Together, we are equipped to strategically implement our company's expan- sion plan. The categories in which we focus our real estate efforts are apparel, cosmetics and crafting. We specifically want to open new stores in regional malls, power centers, apparel-anchored strip centers, big-box strip centers and centers with junior anchors." Both chains offer landlords strong brand recognition among women. Columbus, Ohio–based Casto Southeast Realty Services has three North Carolina regional shopping centers with Rack Room Shoes as a tenant: Park West Village, in Cary; University Com- mons, in Burlington; and University Place, in Charlotte. "We value Rack Room as a great tenant, and we always call on them when we are developing a new center," said Nancy Reitz, a Casto com- mercial property manager. "Their name is highly recognizable and respected. The diversity of their product serves a broad spectrum of the customer base. As a developer, we know Rack Room is going to provide a high-quality product and excellent service to the public. As the opportunity arises, we always plan to present our future centers to Rack Room." Meanwhile, Weingarten Realty has two power centers with Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse as a tenant: Galleria Shop- ping Center, in Matthews, N.C., and Preston Shepard Place Shopping Center, in Plano, Texas. The firm hopes to expand that to more power centers in its portfolio, according to Justin Latone, a Weingarten senior leasing director for the Atlanta area. "The female customer that they attract brings cross-shop- ping opportunities for other categories in a center that feeds off of the female traffic," he said. "Their stores are well mer- chandised with good product assortment." SCT For Rack Room Shoes leasing, contact Kent Gonnerman, real estate director, at (704) 547-8100 or kgonnerman@rackroom.com; for Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse leasing, contact Kirk Light, real estate direc- tor, at (704) 547-8100 or klight@obshoes.com. r e T a i l i n g T o d a y J u l y 2 0 1 4 / S C T 31 30-31_SCT_JUL14_Rack Room.indd 31 6/12/14 5:52 PM