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February 27, 2013   Top Story    Intu Properties to buy Midsummer Place for $379.7M Intu Properties, the former Capital Shopping Centres Group, is acquiring Midsummer Place Shopping Centre for $379.7 million. The company has agreed terms with Legal & General Property to acquire the retail center in Milton Keynes, England. Intu will fund the transaction via a share offering. PropertyEU (Amsterdam) (2/27), 4-Traders.com (2/27) CBL Properties' Frontier Mall Renews Sponsor and Indoor Play Area "We refurbished some of the existing soft play elements and added some wonderful new elements," says General Manager Joan Ghani. "PLAYTIME built the most amazing 12-foot water tower with a slide and a tunnel. It's like a brand new play area. Our sponsor is thrilled!" (More)   Industry Tracker  Westfield to increase investments in U.S., U.K. Sydney, Australia-based global shopping center operator Westfield Group will increase its investment in U.S. and U.K. malls to about 60% of its total portfolio during the next few years, as demand for retail space grows in those markets and softens at home, said co-CEO Peter Lowy. Bloomberg (2/27) Report: Scarcity drives prime retail rents higher in Beijing Hong Kong kept its No. 1 spot on CBRE's latest list of the world's highest retail rents, with prime space leasing for $4,335 per square foot late last year. Beijing popped up on the list at No. 10, as rents rose rapidly amid a scarcity of prime space, said executive director Sebastian Skiff. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (2/26) LaSalle Investment buys U.K. retail center for $33.4M The Airedale Centre in Keighley, West Yorkshire, has traded for $33.4 million. LaSalle Investment Management acquired the U.K. property, which totals 184,000 square feet. Commercial Property Executive (2/26) Macerich reportedly in talks to sell 4 centers to Starwood Macerich Co. is in talks with Starwood Retail Properties to sell four retail centers, sources say. The retail centers are among the REIT's lower sales-generating properties. No contract has been signed yet. Reuters (2/26)   Retail News  Macy's eyes growing sales with strong multi-channel integration Macy's posted stronger than expected sales in 2012 due to a successful online initiative. This year it will build on that performance by strengthening the integration among mobile, online and its brick-and-mortar stores. To that end it will invest $925 million in improving omnichannel sales capabilities. SCT Newswire (2/26), The Wall Street Journal (2/27) Penney's CEO stays positive on changes J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson is betting that the retail strategies he brought with him from Apple will still pay off, even as the company tweaks them in the face of falling sales. "I feel we're executing very closely to the strategy," he said. "It's more like the old J.C. Penney, but it's not." The Wall Street Journal (2/25) Stores achieve sales from shoppers' mobile "showrooming" A study shows that 30% of people who use their mobile devices while shopping in stores also make purchases in those stores. About 1 in 3 shoppers with mobile devices made unplanned in-store purchases, according to the study by Ipsos MediaCT and IAB. MediaPost Communications/Online Media Daily (2/26)   Business Best Practices  Master "executive presence" to advance your career You need to learn to project an executive image if you want to get ahead in your career, writes Ken White, an associate dean at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business. Those with executive presence are confident, go-to people who keep their cool in a crisis. "Your executive presence is a major part of your personal brand," White writes. The Washington Post/Capital Business (2/24)   Policy Watch  Marketplace Fairness Act wins support as times change Opposition to requiring online retailers to collect sales tax has declined considerably as the retail world grows more omnichannel and there's no longer a need to protect and nurture fledgling online retail ventures. "The emotional argument of the tech industry is 15 years old and relies on a stale perception of where the Internet is compared to the reality today of many forms of commerce," NRF's senior vice president for government relations David French said. Politico (Washington, D.C.) (2/26)   News from ICSC  Foundation seeking nominees for Fiala Fellowship ICSC is now accepting nominations for the next Fiala Fellow. Launched in 2010, the ICSC Foundation Fiala Fellowship program annually recognizes an outstanding professional under the age of 30 who personifies Mary Lou Fiala's passion and commitment to retail real estate, and has the potential to make a lasting contribution to the industry. Fiala Fellowship Candidates are evaluated on the basis of professional excellence and active commitment to helping others through service in their communities, profession or fields of research. Learn more. Learn more about ICSC -> Join ICSC  |  Upcoming Events  |  Regulatory News  |  EconStats  |  Shopping Centers Today   SmartQuote  It's the most unhappy people who most fear change." --Mignon McLaughlin, American author and journalist     Subscriber Tools       Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy Advertise Associate Publisher:  Kathy Dowdy 469-305-7122 Download Media Kit   Read more at SmartBrief.com A powerful website for SmartBrief readers including: Industry Home Readers' Choice Search Archive Get this RSS Feed Publish your Press Release Download a SmartBrief Mobile app today       Recent ICSC SmartBrief Issues: Monday, February 25, 2013 Friday, February 22, 2013 Wednesday, February 20, 2013 Monday, February 18, 2013 Friday, February 15, 2013     Lead Editor:  Liz DeHoff       Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004     © 1999-2013 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information