Retail Development Underway at Point Ruston Waterfront

Tacoma, Wash. (Vocus) October 9, 2008

Construction of Point Ruston, a 97-acre mixed use neighborhood on the shores of the Puget Sound, is underway. With a retail core of approximately 120,000 square feet, this open air, waterfront lifestyle center will feature views of Mount Rainier, the Cascade Foothills and Olympic Mountains.

In addition to retail, plans call for 100,000 to 125,000 square feet of Class A office space and 1,000 condominiums, town homes and apartments. The approximate value of the development is $ 1.2 billion.

“Our low bank waterfront location and stunning mountain views will help make Point Ruston a popular Northwest destination,” says Mike Cohen, managing partner of developer Point Ruston LLC. “Area demographics, coupled with Tacoma’s growing popularity as a regional draw, will bolster our ability to bring high quality retail and restaurants to the neighborhood.”

Cohen has retained the services of Colliers International for leasing activities at Point Ruston. The first phase of construction offers nearly 20,000 square feet of retail and commercial space with occupancy targeted in fall 2009.

Point Ruston has secured a formal commitment from Silver Cloud Inns and Hotels to operate a four-star, destination hotel at the waterfront community. Silver Cloud, based in Bellevue, Wash., operates 10 hotels in Washington and Oregon. The 150-room Point Ruston Silver Cloud Hotel will feature an upscale restaurant, lounge and conference facilities.

Cohen expects to start construction of several more neighborhood commercial and retail buildings in late 2009, including the hotel. About 80,000 square feet of restaurant, retail and commercial space is slated for occupancy in 2011, coinciding with Silver Cloud’s debut.

Groundbreaking of the first mixed-use building last April marked the first construction activity on the waterfront property since plans for redevelopment were first envisioned in the early 1990s. Developer Point Ruston LLC is currently placing the foundation for the first mixed-use building at the Built Green community, located at a former industrial site along Commencement Bay.

The 97-acre site is located next to Point Defiance Park, Zoo & Aquarium and the Tacoma Yacht Club. The development area is in two separate jurisdictions, the City of Tacoma and the Town of Ruston.

Point Ruston’s master plans include approximately 50 acres of publicly accessible areas and open spaces, including view corridors, pedestrian and vehicle access, recreational facilities, park areas, public art and a mile-long “Waterwalk.” This pedestrian path, encompassing more than 10 acres and averaging 100-plus feet in width, will complete the link between 702-acre Point Defiance Park and Ruston Way’s popular promenade and restaurant row.

To learn more about our retail offering and tenant mix plan, please visit http://www.pointruston.com/retail. Retail and restaurant executives may contact Michael Horner of Colliers International at (360) 943-5079, ext. 210 or mike.horner @ colliers.com. An online media kit is available at http://www.pointrustonnewsroom.wordpress.com.

About Point Ruston LLC

Point Ruston’s developer is Point Ruston LLC, a real estate partnership based in Ruston, Wash., led by managing partner Mike Cohen. Cohen is president of MC Construction, the company providing planning, management and construction expertise to the development. With offices in Olympia, Ruston and Tacoma, Wash., MC Construction has a 25-year track record as an award-winning builder of custom homes, condominiums, apartments and commercial buildings in the South Puget Sound region, including Hawthorne Hill and Apex Apartments and Penthouses, both in Tacoma. For more information, visit http://www.PointRuston.com or http://www.mcconstruction.com.

For more information:

Mike Cohen

President, MC Construction Consultants, Inc

Managing Partner, Point Ruston, LLC

mike @ pointruston.com

Retail Development Underway at Point Ruston Waterfront

NAB Online Retail Sales Index Report Shows Impressive Growth of Online Sales

Perth, Western Australia (PRWEB) July 30, 2012

In a May 2012 report released by the National Australia Bank (NAB), it showed that online spending had a year-on-year growth of 14.2%, which is significantly higher compared to the 0.2% year-on-year growth of traditional retail sales. As of May this year, online sales reached $ 11.3 billion, equivalent to only 5.2% of traditional retail spending.

Experts believe that these developments signify a major change in the purchasing preference of consumers, making it essential for retailers to start adapting a multi-channel approach that can target a wider market and lead to increased profit in the long run.

They also suggest that those intending to engage in online retailing should also be aware of the more specific aspects of online sales such as trends, demographics, states and other factors in order to better understand the market as a whole and jumpstart their business strategies from there.

In the NAB report, online sales index increased by 187 points in May, from 169 points in the prior month. NAB also reported that 73% of retail shares are from domestic online retailers. The report added that the online market is mostly dominated by people in the 30-40 year old age bracket. Those under 30 years of age have the tendency to choose international retailers over domestic ones, and spend more on online recreation and department stores. While consumers aged 60 years old and above, spend more on food and beverages.

In another note, the NAB sales index report showed that among all states in the country, Western Australia has the highest online sales with a 32% year-on-year growth – more than twice the national average value.

In light of these new figures showing the increasing strength of online sales and its importance to the retail industry, plus the huge popularity of social media and mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, experts believe that traditional retailers should start using the Internet to gain a wider market and earn more profit.

Kirk OConnor, Director of Development of Spanky Media, explained how a business can actually make the most out of its marketing campaign by using the online world as a platform.

He said, With the stiff competition and tough business environment these days, it is essential that retailers should seriously start considering using online marketing strategies in their respective businesses. With this platform, they will be able to target a significantly wider market, without having to spend much.

With the recent changes in consumer behaviour, the best move would be to cater to their needs by enhancing customer experience through effective online marketing strategies website, social media, mobile website, and many more.

Spanky Media is an established web development company in Perth that provides numerous services to businesses and individuals who want to take advantage of the increasing demand of online retailing in order to boost their sales. They offer services such as custom WordPress development, web design, mobile website development, Facebook brand pages and many more.

If you wish to speak to a Spanky Media web development expert, you may give them a call at 1300 729 261 or visit their website http://spankymedia.com.au/.

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NAB Online Retail Sales Index Report Shows Impressive Growth of Online Sales

Survey Shows Online Shopping Will Comprise 6.3% of Total Retail Sales

Perth, Western Australia (PRWEB) August 06, 2012

A recent report showed that online shopping will expectedly take up 6.3% of total retail sales for 2012, as an increasing number of Australians are now making their purchases over the Internet.

This forecast was included in a PricewaterhouseCoopers and Frost & Sullivan Global Retail and Consumer report, which also mentioned that by 2012, 9.6 million Aussie consumers aged 15 and above will make their purchases online.

According to industry experts, the growth of online shopping may be attributed to the growing presence of more online retailers. In addition, factors such as better and more direct communication between consumers and retailers, product expansions and the increasing popularity of mobile commerce will further contribute to online shoppings growth.

Among the sectors predicted to perform best within the next 5 years are footwear, clothing, fashion accessories and jewellery.

With these numbers, Stuart Harker, Global Retail & Consumer Advisory Partner at PwC, explained that retailers in the country must now improve their services and seriously consider using the online platform to take their businesses to the next level.

Harker said, “Like retailers in the US and UK are doing, Australian retailers must fundamentally rethink their strategy, particularly in relation to their real estate and store portfolio.”

“The days of growing by simply opening more stores are long gone,” he added.

The same report predicted that online shopping sales will amount to $ 16 billion by the end of 2012 (or 6.3% of the $ 253.8 billion projected total retail sales) an increase of 17.6% from $ 13.6 billion expenditure last year.

The report also showed that 55% of online shoppers expressed that the main reason they shop online is because of lower prices in online stores, while 15% said that it is more convenient to shop online.

Mobile devices play a key role in driving the growth of online shopping 34% of online purchases have been made through mobile devices for the past 12 months, with 57% of Aussies saying that their online shopping via mobile devices have increased over the year.

Notably, the report said that 88% of Australian consumers are expected to increase or maintain their online spending, indicating a strong drive for online retail in months to come.

Kirk OConnor, Spanky Medias Director of Development, explained how businesses can take advantage of this boom in online retail.

OConnor said, Consumers have evolved aside from adapting to current technology, they look for value in their purchases. They want to have a wide variety of product choices. So retailers should tap into these desires by starting to use the online platform in their marketing campaigns.

Businesses should start utilising effective online marketing campaigns build WordPress websites, engage in social media by creating Facebook brand pages, start a mobile website to target a wider market. These strategies will bring you closer to your market and will give them the convenience they wont get in traditional retail stores eventually increasing your business profitability.

Spanky Media is a leading web development company in Australia which provides numerous services, designed to help businesses and individuals make the most out of their web marketing campaigns. Their services include WordPress and mobile website development, eCommerce, Facebook fan pages, and many more.

Contact Spanky Media today for your online marketing needs at 1300 729 261 or visit their company website http://spankymedia.com.au/.

Survey Shows Online Shopping Will Comprise 6.3% of Total Retail Sales