Occupancy at malls and outlet centers remains the strongest among northern New Jersey retail properties, outpacing smaller shopping centers and freestanding stores, according to analysts at the CoStar Group.

A second gift card distributor announced Monday it will restock its New Jersey shelves following revisions the state made to its escheatment process.

While New Jersey Devils fans anxiously await the decision of unrestricted free agent Zach Parise to either re-sign with the team or leave the franchise, a local sporting goods retailer hopes the announcement will finally lift the holding pattern of the merchandise bearing his name.

A major gift card provider, InComm, announced Monday it would immediately return its gift cards, including Visa and MasterCard gift cards, to the Garden State.

While darkened big-box stores remain problematic for the state's retail real estate sector, absorptions in the central New Jersey market have triggered improvements in the vacancy rate and sparked new developments, according to an annual survey by Old Bridge-based retail real estate broker R.J. Brunelli & Co.