New stores are open for business at the recently redeveloped Valley Country Mart shopping center in Woodland Hills. The outdoor mall is currently home to 11 tenants and has signed six new deals with boutique merchants and eateries. They include clothing company DSTLD and housing goods store Maude Woods, which are now open, as well as cafes and coffee shops Blue Bottle Coffee, Lodge Bread Co. and Valerie’s Confections and toy store Merci Milo, which are set to open over the next few weeks. The Country Mart replaced an older strip mall at 20929 Ventura Blvd. that was purchased two years ago by Los Angeles-based Atlas Capital Group. The real estate company hired L.A. brokerage firm the Runyon Group to oversee an extensive remodel of the 70,830-square-foot property, which began in the spring of last year. Runyon Group has developed two other high-end shopping centers for Atlas Capital, Platform in Culver City and Row DTLA in downtown L.A. Marc Riches, director of leasing with Atlas Capital, said the company aims to introduce a boutique shopping experience to the West Valley. Many of the mall’s new tenants have locations in retail hotspots such as Silver Lake and Pasadena. “We’re staying away from corporate tenants and looking for individual retailers with an interesting story behind their business,” he said. “A little bit more cool trendy than old and stale.” Atlas Capital plans to lease the remaining storefronts to a variety of fast-casual restaurants, local retailers and fitness centers to get people to shop more often. The mall has 36 total retail units and is currently in negotiations with 10 potential new tenants. It also has 7,000 square feet of commercial office space above the retail stores, which the firm plans to lease after refurnishing the office units. The new center’s 1950s-style design aims to stand in contrast to the large indoor malls that are now waning in popularity. Riches said a common area at the mall will host local events and outdoor programs to entice shoppers. “We want to create a destination experience that’s not a mall in the West Valley,” he said. Expedia CruiseShipCenters Expedia has opened a travel office in Santa Clarita to help customers book cruise ship vacations. The new Expedia CruiseShipCenter is located at 26512 Bouquet Canyon Road in the Bouquet Center Shopping Center at the corner of Newhall Ranch Road in Saugus. While Expedia is known for its online travel booking site, it also has 250 physical CruiseShipCenter travel agencies in North America. In addition to cruise ship vacations, the centers help book airline tickets, hotels accommodations and rail tours. Customers can meet agents in the office or book over the phone. “We look forward to working with the community to help them find the cruise or vacation that is a perfect fit for their needs,” said Santa Clarita franchise partner Francis James in a statement. “The internet can become overwhelming when trying to plan a vacation. With so many options available, customers really want to speak to an expert. Our team of knowledgeable vacation consultants is passionately committed to helping our customers plan their next big adventure, and it’s this level of exceptional service that sets us apart.” Santa Clarita is also home to Princess Cruises, which is owned by Miami-based Carnival Corp. & plc. The Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce will hold a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony at the location on Oct. 30 at 5 p.m. Dole ‘Refreshes’ Logo Dole Food Co. has updated its logo as part of an effort to “refresh” its brand identity. The Westlake Village produce company said the new design reflects the company’s values around “freshness, transparency and responsibility.” In addition, Dole has introduced a new tagline, “Powering You.” “We have grown and evolved over the years, and we have refreshed our brand to reflect who we are today and where we see ourselves heading in the future,” Xavier Roussel, vice president of marketing and sustainability, said in a statement. “This new look for us reinforces Dole’s brand position as the premium supplier of farm-fresh fruits and vegetables grown and delivered from around the world to your table at the peak of quality, freshness and taste.” The company has started rolling out the new look on its fruit and vegetable packaging and plans to completely phase in the updated branding next year. Staff Reporter Ethan Varian can be reached at (818) 316-3130 or [email protected].
