Signature Associates

Village of Rochester Hills welcomes new retailers

The Village of Rochester Hills has avoided some of the pitfalls other shopping centers are encountering and is adding a slew of new retailers.

The outdoor shopping center at Adams and Walton roads is at 95 percent capacity and has avoided many COVID-related closures, said Scott Aikens, vice chairman and director of leasing for Robert B. Aikens & Associates LLC, developer of The Village.

The Village will welcome four new retailers over the next few months and a department store next year:

• Robert Redford’s Sundance Catalog: The retailer’s new store is set to open in May and will be its first in Michigan and its 18th brick-and-mortar location overall. It will bring its mix of men’s and women’s clothing, jewelry, footwear, accessories and home decor to a 4,000-square-foot space in a building that also houses Lululemon, a Douglas J Aveda Salon and Barnes and Noble bookstore. “This is the big get,” Aikens said. “The Sundance Catalog will be in a great location and it’s part of a big year for us.”
• Busted Bra Shop: This is the fourth location for Lee Padgett’s boutique that specializes in custom fit, inclusive intimate apparel in sizes AA cup to O cup, with band sizing from 28-56 inches. Busted Bra will fill a storefront previously occupied by GNC and open in April.
• Beautiphi Aesthetics and Wellness: The business, specializing in nonsurgical facial and body procedures, was founded by Kelly Hermans, a Flint-based certified registered nurse anesthetist. It will take over a space formerly occupied by Blossom Collection by Moceri, a provider of senior living. It is set to open this month.
• YogaSix: This national boutique yoga studio chain offers an array of classes. It will move into a space that formerly housed Portrait Innovations. It is set to open in July.
• Von Maur: The department store is set to join The Village in 2022. It will be the fourth Michigan location, along with stores in Livonia, Ann Arbor and Kentwood, and 37th in the U.S.

Aikens said no specific opening dates have been set. The retailers are looking to have soft openings, he said, given the current pandemic-related restrictions in place. He declined to disclose terms of the leases.

The Village also added four new tenants last year: Dry Goods, Light and Loom, Lovesac and Rebecca’s Ladies Fashions and Accessories.

It also saw a few longtime tenants move out: Xfinity closed its store after its seven-year lease ran out. Moosejaw moved out after the Madison Heights-based company was purchased by Walmart and decided The Village was no longer a fit, Aikens said. A Victoria’s Secret store exited as the brand shuttered 241 stores last year.

Another popular brand is helping keep the Rochester Hills mall viable, Aikens said.

Whole Foods grocery store, now owned by Amazon.com Inc., opened in nearly 55,000 square feet at the mall in 2008.

“That grocery store is our anchor,” Aikens said. “Any time you have anything associated with Amazon as part of your portfolio, retailers are interested in joining you. Any mall that’s attached to Amazon is going to do well.”

Robert B. Aikens & Associates is proud of its leasing momentum during a challenging time.

“… we remain focused on ensuring a unique, enjoyable shopping experience for our community,” Margaux Keusch, senior director of leasing, said in a news release. “From familiar brand favorites, first-to-market specialty retailers, to locally owned boutiques, leasing is at the heart of everything we do as we continue to add to the merchandise mix.”

Scott Aikens said the announcement of the new retailers signals what should be a big year for The Village.

“We’re growing at a pretty good rate,” he said. “We understand that with everything happening right now, being able to bring in new retailers is a big deal.”

Posted By: Crain’s Detroit Business on April 2, 2021.  For more information, please click here to read the source article.

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