Multitude of new dining concepts and merchants join prime retail destination

WALDORF, MD (February 20, 2013) – Madison Marquette Retail Services (MMRS) announced today the signing of two new tenants at The Shops at Waldorf Center, which is owned  and operated by the company. Newly signed leases include Five Below and Sweet Thing Black Orchid, which are both scheduled to open in May 2013. The two new tenants will join a veritable avalanche of new retailers and restaurants that have opened at the Waldorf, MD center in recent months including Café Rio, ULTA, Sweet Frog, Genghis Grill, Charming Charlie, Verizon Fios and Staples.

“We have seen amazing sales growth at Waldorf Center for all of our tenants – a sure sign that our retail and restaurant mix, location and strong community orientation are drawing record numbers of shoppers and diners,” said Eric Christensen, General Manager at The Shops at Waldorf.

The Shops at Waldorf Center are situated in a close-in and rapidly growing DC suburb offering retailers an ideal opportunity to attract a motivated purchasing demographic. The shopping center, which is more than 80 percent leased, is anchored by renowned national chains hhgregg, Christmas Tree Shops, Babies R Us, Michael’s, Ross Dress for Less, PetSmart, and Modell’s Sporting Goods.

Summer through Fall, 2012, saw The Shops at Waldorf welcoming new tenants including popular Mexican grill Café Rio, beauty retailer ULTA and premium frozen yogurt purveyor Sweet Frog. Café Rio now occupies 3,618 square feet of space while ULTA has more than 11,000 square feet. ULTA, which provides one-stop shopping for prestige, mass beauty and salon products, is one of the fastest growing beauty retailers in the United States.

Additionally, the center saw the opening of Verizon Fios and the relocation of Staples in October 2012. Verizon’s FIOS retail store now occupies 2,349 square feet. Staples introduced its new, forward-looking and innovative prototype store with the more than 15,000 square feet now showcased at The Shops at Waldorf.

Two additional tenants opened this fall in The Shops at Waldorf.  Genghis Grill, which specializes in Mongolian BBQ and Asian specialties and accessories retailer Charming Charlie opened in November 2012. Genghis Grill occupies 4,200 square feet and Charming Charlie occupies 8,000 square feet.

This spring, The Shops at Waldorf are excited to feature the opening of Five Below which will offer everything from sporting goods, games, fashion accessories and jewelry to the teen and pre-teen market. The leading retailer of trend-right, extreme-value merchandise will occupy 8,400 square feet and is scheduled to open in May 2013. Also opening in May is Sweet Thing Black Orchid, occupying 1,500 square feet of space. The event planning business will offer customers personalized cakes and sophisticated floral arrangements.

“We believe these exciting new merchants will help re-invent our shopping center and meet the needs of Waldorf and the surrounding southern Maryland communities,” said Christina Davies, Leasing Agent for MMRS. “We are thrilled to be creating more attractive shopping opportunities for our customers.”

About Madison Marquette Retail Services (MMRS):

MMRS provides a full range of retail real estate services for over 20 million square feet of retail and mixed-use properties throughout the United States.  The company specializes in enhancing the value of retail assets through an integrated approach to leasing, property management, marketing and development services. MMRS has offices located in Asbury Park, Boca Raton, Charlotte, Del Mar, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, DC.

About The Shops at Waldorf Center:

The Shops at Waldorf Center is located at the major intersection of Route 301 and Route 228 in Waldorf, Maryland. This 584,470 square foot shopping center is anchored by hhGregg, ULTA, Christmas Tree Shops, Staples, Babies R Us, Michael’s Arts & Crafts, Ross Dress for Less, PetsMart and Modell’s Sporting Goods. With solid demographics and strong co-tenancy, it offers retailers a prime location with great sales potential. There is also a new expansion area along Route 228 anchored by CVS.