LOS ANGELES COUNTY - News from Dec. 11, 1995

Location, Location: The Shopping Center Game, UCLA’s annual one-day seminar on retail real estate, is a venue for learning and speechmaking. However, the 1995 version is attracting unusual interest because it could actually facilitate some major deal making. The retail real estate field in Southern California is wide open, and industry observers believe that many retailing executives scheduled to speak at the event will also be shopping for store sites. For example, Federated Department Stores, which recently acquired the Los Angeles-based Broadway department store chain, is seeking buyers for some of the Broadways. Also, Smith’s Food & Drug Centers of Salt Lake City has been trying to sell its 34 supermarkets in Southern California. As for potential buyers, Sears Roebuck is searching for expansion sites and Wal-Mart Stores plans to open 100 Southland stores over the next five years. Among the speakers who might be looking for deals are John Grimes, director of real estate for Wal-Mart; Mark Borison, Federated’s real estate chief; and Pat Barber, group vice president of real estate for Ralphs Grocery. The Shopping Center Game will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel. For more information, call (310) 825-9971.