WHP Global just announced that it and Go Retail Group will open Toys R Us stores; according to CNBC, it’s as many as 24. They will be in prime locations that complement the Toys R Us shops within Macy’s. Toys R Us closed its last two U.S. brick-and-mortar stores in January 2021, and WHP Global bought a controlling stake in its parent company in March 2021. In December of that year, Toys R Us reentered brick-and-mortar with a 20,000-square-foot location in New Jersey’s American Dream. In 2022, Toys R Us stores-within-stores opened in Macy’s locations. “Similar to the global flagship at American Dream, the new flagship stores will serve as epicenters of immersive fun, providing customers with a destination to explore and discover the hottest toys,” according to WHP Global’s press release today. The company also will launch airport and cruise ship formats of the famous toy store. The first, in partnership with Duty Free Americas, will open in Terminal A of DFW International Airport in November.

Eataly plans to open 20 North American stores over the next five years, including five in the next two years. It has nine locations in North America and another 38 food halls around the world. The operator of Italian-themed food halls hired its first CEO of North America — former Benetton, Diesel and Furla executive Tommaso Bruso — to drive expansion.

Apparel and accessories brand True Religion plans a U.S. store expansion, which got started with the recent opening of its 47th store and first new store since 2019, a 2,000-square-foot unit in Atlanta’s Cumberland Mall. The retailer wants to open full-price and outlet stores in markets where it has strong e-commerce sales.

Ralph Lauren plans to open “a number” of full-line stores across Canada in coming years. The company just launched e-commerce operations in the country and opened its first physical store there, at Yorkdale shopping center in Toronto. Ralph Lauren has 12 outlet stores in Canada.

Elevated levels of theft and safety concerns for its shoppers and employees have pushed Target to close nine of its 1,900 stores — in New York City, Seattle, San Francisco and Portland, Oregon — Oct. 21. Three of the stores are in the San Francisco metro area. Anti-theft measures like security guards, third-party guard services and theft-deterrent tools have not stoped retail crime at the stores, according to the retailer.

Step 1 in Downtown San Francisco’s Recovery Strategy Is On

Central business districts in need of economic sustenance beyond office workers are watching what urban design firm Sitelab is doing in the famously struggling San Francisco. The company reimagines urban alleys and passageways with removable street seating, murals to generate a village-like atmosphere and events and programming. It is testing a program with San Francisco that could help reverse the city’s economic woes by converting an alley into a pedestrian, experiential village called the Landing at Leidesdorff.

Sitelab surveyed 800 residents of Downtown San Francisco and found that 62% want more active ground floors, 50% want more art, 50% want more events, 68% want outdoor seating at which to eat and gather and 68% want more greenery and green space. Landing at Leidesdorff, which opened last week, draws creative inspiration from Downtown San Francisco’s maritime heritage as a wharf.

The Landing at Leidesdorff is the first real-life implementation of a strategic Public Realm Action Plan that Sitelab and the Downtown SF Partnership developed to reimagine the downtown. The plan identified six areas of focus to make the 43 blocks encompassing the Financial District and Jackson Square “a place to be” by filling alleyways and unused public spaces with pop-ups and vendors, partnering with local restaurants and musicians, and painting murals.

The plan’s pilot project, the Landing at Leidesdorff, is part of a larger effort by San Francisco to revitalize its downtown neighborhoods, which have struggled with foot traffic and office occupancy rates in recent years. The city hopes a more pedestrian-friendly and inviting downtown can attract residents, visitors and businesses.

More on San Francisco in C+CT

Record U.S. Halloween Sales Are Expected

Spending on Halloween costumes, decor and candy in the U.S. will reach a record $12.2 billion this year, up from last year’s $10.6 billion, according to a National Retail Federation and Proper Insights & Analytics survey of 8,084 U.S. shoppers. Spending per shopper — not necessarily per person or per household — is expected to increase to $108.24 this year, surpassing the $102.74 record set in 2021.

Discount stores will remain the top destination for buying Halloween items, as 40% of shoppers say they’ll shop there. Specialty Halloween stores followed with 39%, and 32% will shop online for Halloween items.

While specialty Halloween shops have always been among the top destinations for Halloween items, more survey respondents plan to shop at these stores this year than in the past. That could owe to the fact that more such stores exist than ever before. The biggest operator of specialty Halloween stores, Spirit Halloween, plans to run 1,500 seasonal locations from 5,000 to 50,000 square feet. That’s 50 more than last year. Party City operated some 150 Halloween City stores last year, and Halloween Express claims 400 stores in North America, according to Franchimp.

Phillips Edison & Co. is now a sponsor of the SCORE Foundation, the philanthropic arm of SCORE, a network of volunteer, expert business mentors. Funding from the sponsorship will support the foundation’s free mentor network and education programs for entrepreneurs and small business owners. PECO tenants will get free access to webinars, mentor matching programs, workshops and other educational materials online.

—Additional reporting by Commerce + Communities Today editor-in-chief Amanda Metcalf