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, according to a three-yea r projection by in Encino, Calif. Seattlse ranked first, according to the report issuedin May. Roundiny out the top 10 were: Orange County, Calif.; Oakland, Calif.; Las Vegas; San West Palm Beach, Fla.; Riverside-Saj Bernardino, Calif.; Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The indez uses factors such as employment income growth and retail real estate inventorie to createa three-year outlook on the marketsz with the most momentum.
And one of the five hottesyt retailers -- White House/Black Market -- plans at least threse more locations in The trendy clothing outlert was given that distinction at the International Council ofShoppinbg Centers' spring convention in Las Vegas May 24. Othefr hot retailers named by ICSC at its May conventiomn wereApple Stores, the retail store of (Nasdaq: AAPL), (NYSE: Steve & Barry's University Store, and WSM). Of those retailers, only Steve Barry's is not in the Atlanta market.
White House/Blacik Market, which focuses on clothing and accessories for women in shades of white and black, plans locations at Midtown'w Atlantic Station, an outlet store in the metro and in Snellville at 's Avenue Webb Gin. Whitw House/Black Market, which is a brand of Fort Myers, Fla.-based CHS), already has eight retail stores here, said Michael Smith, vice presidentr of investor and community relationswfor Chico's. The company also has 10 Chico' stores and one Soma, Chico's lingerie retail in Atlanta, he said. "That's one of the highesyt concentrations of stores in ametropolitan area," Smith said.
"Atlantsa is one of our stronger Chico's also has its company's distribution center in he said. Steve & Barry's Universitt Store has locations in Brunswickand Savannah, "bugt I don't see anything at this time in said Rick Gomes, spokesman for Port Washington, N.Y.-based Steves & Barry's. "But we are always lookin and weare growing." The privatelyh held company has 70 stores in 26 statess and plans 60 more stores by the end of he said. None of the other retailers returned calls for comment about expansionhin Atlanta.
However, Williams-Sonoma, whichn has seven stores in metro Atlanta, has spoken to developersd about locations for its newest homefurnishingds brands, West Elm and Williams-Sonom Home, in the market, said Kevijn Polston, senior vice president and Southeast regiona l director of Avenue projects for Atlanta-baser Cousins Properties Inc. (NYSE: CUZ). "Retailers seem to be pursuing a growthbstrategy generally," said Polston, who attended the ICSC convention. "As long as the market continueasto grow, we'll add retail. We hear retailers ask evert year, isn't Atlanta overbuilt? But when you look at the we continue to grow with residents and those residentse needmore retail.
" At Marcus & Millichap's investorf show in Las Vegas, "there was no retailer we talkesd to that wasn't expanding and Atlanta was part of that said John Leonard, vice president and regional manager of Marcux & Millichap's Atlanta office. Retailerss attending the ICSC convention were particularly interested inAtlantic Station, said Greg president and CEO of Jones Lang LaSaller Retail in Atlanta, which is leasintg the retail portion of the mixed-usde redevelopment project set to open this fall. "Atlantifc Station got a lot of buzz now that people are seeinhg andfeeling it," he said.
Jonesa Lang LaSalle met with "a rangse of retailers that typically go into and retailers considering enterinf the market through a location atAtlantic Station, said Pam Atwater, senior vice presidenf in retail leasing. Although Atwater wouldr not disclose retailer names since no deals havebeen signed, the retailers included thosre associated with home furnishings, apparel retailerse that appeal to the 25- to 45-year-old shopper, and