Danbury Fair Adds Japanese Bowling Arcade as Tenant
One of Fairfield County’s principal mall properties is getting a new tenant: a Japanese bowling facility and arcade.
Saks Off 5th Returning to Stamford at Ex-Lord & Taylor Site
A former standalone Lord & Taylor store in Stamford will continue as a retail location after discount retailer Saks Off 5th announced it has signed a lease for the property.
Add Rent to Rising Costs Bedeviling Small Businesses
Landlords were lenient about rent payments during the first two years of the pandemic. Now, many are asking for back rent, and some are raising the current rent as well.
Medical Groups Offer Therapy for Mall Vacancies
Medical offices and outpatient clinics are providing a new source of demand for retail space in suburban shopping malls following the exodus of traditional anchor tenants.
Darien Commons Lands Six New Tenants
Six new tenants will open this year at Darien Commons, the redevelopment of a grocery-anchored shopping center into a mixed-use property.
Wegmans Moves into CT with Norwalk Store Plans
Norwalk is getting the first Connecticut location of the Wegmans supermarket chain, a company like local grocer Stew Leonard’s that inspires devotion in its shoppers.
Despite Supply Issues, Holiday Sales Rise 8.5 Percent
Holiday sales rose at the fastest pace in 17 years, even as shoppers grappled with higher prices, product shortages and a raging new COVID-19 variant in the last few weeks of the season.
Over 2K State Restaurants Wait for Federal Help
More than 2,066 Connecticut restauranteurs are “stuck in limbo,” waiting to see if there are going to be enough federal COVID-19 assistance funds
Pop-Up Restaurants May Stick Around
Pop-up restaurants, many started as stopgap measures by struggling chefs and owners, may have staying power as consumers continue to embrace takeout and delivery and the delta variant threatens to make dining in less of an option.
Westport CRE Brokerage Adds New Associate
Saugatuck Commercial Real Estate announced a new face has joined its team: Nate Greenberg.
Shoppers Go Back to Stores, but Retailers Face Challenges
With more people getting vaccinated and dropping their face masks, retailers from Walmart to Macy’s are seeing an eager return to their stores after more than a year of their customers migrating online during the pandemic.
Retailer Results Show Customers Returning, Spending
At Walmart, sales of teeth whitener are popping as customers take their masks off. So are travel items. Macy’s says that special occasion dressing like prom dresses are on the upswing as well as luggage, men’s tailored clothing, and dressy sandals.
Restaurants Question How a Partial Mask Mandate Will Work
Some Connecticut restauranteurs are questioning how they should handle the state’s plans to require indoor mask-wearing for only unvaccinated people beginning May 19, a sudden change from the state’s original plans to still continue the indoor mask-wearing rule for everyone.
Restaurant Survival Hopes Pick Up as $28.6B in SBA Grants Begin
Thousands of restaurants and bars decimated by the COVID-19 outbreak have a better chance at survival as the government begins handing out $28.6 billion in grants – money to help these small businesses stay afloat while they wait for customers to return.
Demand for Vaccine in CT Drops 50 Percent over Two Weeks
The data is prompting state officials to now focus heavily on reaching people — especially younger residents — with the state’s fleet of mobile vaccination vans and walk-up vaccinations at more than 100 existing clinics.
Retailers Struggle to Find Workers as Demand Ramps Up
Hotel, restaurant and retail store owners warn that staffing shortages exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic could force them to limit occupancy, curtail hours and services or shut down facilities entirely just as they’re starting to bounce back from a grim year.
Lamont Will Eliminate COVID Biz Curbs in May
Gov. Ned Lamont’s office said Monday night that it plans to ease several different restrictions on the state’s businesses put in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Free Weekend Bus Service Planned for Summer
Gov. Ned Lamont said the move is a way to boost local shops.
CT Restaurants Embrace End to Capacity Limits
While Connecticut restaurateurs welcomed the end to COVID-related capacity limits inside their establishments on Friday, an industry trade group is cautioning that it’s just a first step toward getting back to business as usual.
Lamont’s Virus Advisor OK Lifting Capacity Limits Despite Variants
Yale epidemiologist Dr. Albert Ko, a top pandemic advisor to Gov. Ned Lamont, said Thursday he’s concerned about the different variants that have been detected in Connecticut, but he’s not opposing the state’s plans to eliminate capacity limits.
