Shopping Centers Today is the news magazine of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
Issue link: https://sct.epubxp.com/i/827208
16 S C T / J U N E 2 0 1 7 S T O R E F R O N T S Turning the page The first Madame Tussauds wax museum inside a mall has opened at Simon's Opry Mills, in Nashville, Tenn. M ore people are reading "real" books, which is boosting the fortunes of the very same brick- and-mortar bookstores the pundits had once relegated to the scrap heap of history. According to consumer marketing firm NPD Group, print book unit sales in the U.S. increased by 3 percent last year, with about 674 million units selling, versus the 653 million sold in 2015. The growth in print was driven by significant increases in sales of nonfiction and children's books, as well as adult coloring books. Nonfiction saw the largest unit growth, rising by 7 percent, according to NPD. Juvenile and young adult sales climbed by 3 percent, while children's fiction increased by 5 percent. Children's and young adult comics and graphic novels were a bright spot, at 24 percent growth last year. n House of wax Home retailer Crate & Barrel appointed Neela Montgomery CEO. The British executive has served as an executive board member for multichannel retail at Crate & Barrel's parent company, the Hamburg, Germany–based Otto Group. The 42-year- old joined the Otto Group in November 2014 after holding various global positions at retailer Tesco. n MEET CRATE & BARREL'S NEW CEO THIS IS THE SEVENTH MADAME TUSSAUDS MUSEUM in the U.S., but it is the only music-themed version, giving Nashville, Tenn, locals and tourists the chance to experience the history of American music through the lifelike figures of 45 musical icons — including Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Stevie Wonder. "The Mills and Simon properties offer tourists and locals alike an experience far beyond just shopping, including an array of dining and entertainment options," said Gregg M. Goodman, president of The Mills, a Simon company. "We are committed to providing the best entertainment for our guests. Because of this, it was a natural fit to welcome the nation's first in-mall Madame Tussauds to Opry Mills' roster." Madame Tussauds is owned and operated by global leisure giant Merlin Entertainments. The other U.S. waxworks sites are in Hollywood, Calif.; Las Vegas; New York City; Orlando, Fla.; San Francisco; and Washington, D.C. The Nashville facility is the 22nd globally. Opry Mills also recently signed a lease with Bavarian Bierhaus, a German restaurant and beer hall that opened this spring, and with athletics wares stores ASICS, Champs Sports and New Balance. n