Ocean State Job Lot buys Conn. center

NORTH KINGSTOWN – Rhode Island-based closeout retail chain Ocean State Job Lot announced last week it has purchased the Webster Square Shopping Center in Berlin, Conn., for an undisclosed amount.
According to a statement, Job Lot has been a tenant of the Shopping Center since 2001, when it opened its Berlin store at 133 Webster Square Road. By this summer, the company will relocate its existing 22,466-square-foot Berlin store to a larger 46,229-square-foot site at 207 Webster Square Road, left vacant by the A&P Super Foodmart since October 2010.
The company said that as owner of the center, Ocean State Job Lot is actively recruiting tenants for its soon-to-be-available space. Job Lot is also considering a number of physical improvements to its store interior, as well as to the exterior façade of the 159,562-square-foot center.
Current tenants of the center include Harbor Freight Tools, Family Dollar, H&H Linen Service and Wa-Wah Kitchen.
Founded in 1977, Ocean State Job Lot is a privately held retail chain with 111 stores in the six New England states and New York. It has approximately 4,000 employees and annual sales exceeding $540 million. •