Shopping Centers Today is the news magazine of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
Issue link: https://sct.epubxp.com/i/803877
56 S C T / A P R I L 2 0 1 7 Retailers, restaurants and entertainment operators will occupy just about every square inch of exhibit space at RECon this year, as in past years. The majority of exhibitors will be those that have occupied booths here before, but the show also includes several tenants exhibiting for the first time. Thus, attendees will find a mix of fledgling franchises and well-established veterans, selling a range of goods and services: discount designer labels, new dining experiences and everything else imaginable. Framingham, Mass.– based TJX Cos., parent of T.J.Maxx, Marshalls and other brands, is exhibiting for the first time — fresh from a year in which it saw no store closings, but 198 openings globally. Those openings represent an increase of 6 percent and bring total store count to about 3,800, according to statements CEO and President Ernie Herrman made in February during an earnings call. TJX wants to accelerate that pace and surpass the 4,000-store mark this year, with a long-term plan to boost store count by 50 percent. The company also says it is bringing out a new, as yet unnamed home-decor store to complement its HomeGoods chain. "We continue to see a favorable real estate environment and are taking Opening shop Retailers bring expansion plans to RECon By Joe Gose advantage of many opportunities around the world," said a company representative. "Participation in the ICSC conference is just one of many ways we look for terrific real estate opportunities across the country." Meanwhile, the new participants include Yorba Linda, Calif.–based Creamistry, a 4-year-old ice-cream maker that uses nitrogen to freeze its concoctions. The franchise currently operates 45 shops in the U.S., predominantly in California, with a few in Arizona and Texas. The company is concentrating on the Sun Belt states for now but does have plans to turn northward later. Creamistry anticipates having 100 operations going by the end of this year or early next. "We know California well, because we're from there," said Joe Han, vice president of operations. "Now that we're venturing out, it's harder for us to lock down good locations, so we want to be able to connect with real estate professionals in other markets." Han and COO Stephen Boud, who promise demonstrations at RECon, say the concept marries a conventional frozen-dessert operation with the entertainment experience sought by consumers and landlords. Creamistry handcrafts each order and then adds liquid nitrogen, which creates a "billowing fog" and quickly freezes the mixture so that ice crystals cannot form. "You