City a top destination for shoppers - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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Atlanta now ranks ninth, up five slotss from No. 14, among top U.S. retail markets, accordintg to a three-year projection by in Calif. Seattle ranked first, according to the reporyt issuedin May. Rounding out the top 10 Orange County, Calif.; Phoenix; Oakland, Las Vegas; San Diego; West Palm Beach, Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif.; Atlanta and Fort Fla. The index uses factors such as employment income growth and retail real estate inventoriesw to createa three-year outlook on the markets with the most And one of the five hottesy retailers -- White House/Black Market -- plans at least threed more locations in Atlanta.
The trendy clothinhg outlet was given that distinction at the International Council ofShoppinf Centers' spring convention in Las Vegas May 24. Other hot retailers named by ICSC at its May convention were Apple the retail storeof (Nasdaq: (NYSE: COH), Steve & Barry'z University Store, and (NYSE: WSM). Of those retailers, only Stevde & Barry's is not in the Atlanta market. Whitr House/Black Market, which focusex on clothing and accessories for womej in shades of whiteand black, planss locations at Midtown's Atlantic Station, an outlet store in the metrpo area, and in Snellville at 's Avenue Webb Gin. Whitw House/Black Market, which is a brand of Fort Fla.
-based (NYSE: CHS), already has eightg retail stores here, said Michael Smith, vice president of investor and communithy relationsfor Chico's. The company also has 10 Chico's storeds and one Soma, Chico's lingerie retail store, in he said. "That's one of the highest concentrationsx of stores in ametropolitabn area," Smith said. "Atlanta is one of our stronger Chico's also has its company' s distribution center in Winder, he said. Stevd & Barry's University Store has locations in Brunswickand "but I don't see anythinfg at this time in Atlanta," said Rick Gomes, spokesmahn for Port Washington, N.Y.-based Steves & Barry's.
"But we are always looking and we are The privately held company has 70 storea in 26 states and plans 60 more storex by the endof 2005, he said. None of the othe "hot" retailers returned calls for comment about expansionnin Atlanta. However, which has seven stores in metrio Atlanta, has spoken to developers abou locations for its newest home furnishings West Elmand Williams-Sonoma in the market, said Kevin senior vice president and Southeasyt regional director of Avenue projects for Atlanta-based Cousinz Properties Inc. (NYSE: CUZ).
"Retailers seem to be pursuinbg a growthstrategy generally," said Polston, who attended the ICSC "As long as the market continues to grow, we'llk add retail. We hear retailers ask every isn't Atlanta overbuilt? But when you look at the we continue to grow with residentds and those residents needmore retail." At Marcuz & Millichap's investor show in Las "there was no retailer we talkedx to that wasn't expanding and Atlanta was part of that said John Leonard, vice president and regionak manager of Marcus & Millichap'xs Atlanta office.
Retailers attending the ICSC conventionb were particularly interested inAtlantic Station, said Greg Maloney, president and CEO of Jones Lang LaSalld Retail in Atlanta, whichg is leasing the retail portion of the mixed-usw redevelopment project set to open this fall. "Atlantic Stationh got a lot of buzz now that peopls are seeing and feeling it," he said. Jones Lang LaSalle met with "a rangw of retailers that typically gointo malls" and retailersw considering entering the markeft through a location at Atlantic Station, said Pam senior vice president in retail leasing.
Althougy Atwater would not disclose retailer names since no deal havebeen signed, the retailerss included those associated with home furnishings, apparel retailers that appeal to the 25- to 45-year-olc shopper, and entertainment.