G+G Retail's Josh Podell

Like many retailers, New York City-based G+G Retail will tout a new concept at the International Council of Shopping Centers’ Spring Convention in Las Vegas. The company, which operates 500 mall-based Rave stores, which target teenage girls, as well 70 Rave Girl units that go after a younger audience, is looking to open 12 prototypes next year in March or April. Some details of the new stores have yet to be determined, but G+G executives have decided to increase their units’ square footage from an average of 2,400 sf today to 2,800 sf to 3,000 sf. Josh Podell, the retailer’s VP of real estate and construction spoke with GSR about his plans for the convention.

GSR: What is your biggest objective at the convention this year?

Podell: My No. 1 objective is to explain to everyone what’s happening in terms of the changes. I want them to understand that how they perceived our business and our stores over the past 30 years in changing dramatically. From a mall owner standpoint it’s going to benefit them tremendously because we’ll have a much nicer-looking store. A lot of mall owners want to make sure that what build is very nice because they’re putting a lot of money into their centers now. It’s not the old days when you just put down a tile floor and sheetrock ceiling and that was it. The settings are much nicer today, and they’re sensitive in that they want retailers to put their best foot forward with a store prototype.