▶ T-MOBILE

fifth signature-style store after New York, Chicago, Miami and Santa Monica, California, but its first two-story one — replaces the Grand Canyon Experience gift shop.

Freier said the company decided last year to hold annual meetings for high-performing employees at different Las Vegas resorts instead of places such as San Diego and Miami.

The new store has room for event space and will market prepaid and travel phone services to international Strip visitors.

The company has been in a growth phase, opening 1,400 stores in 2016, according to its latest annual report. The wireless company has 47 locations in the Las Vegas area, including the new store.

T-mobile opened six locations in the Las Vegas area last year, said Sam Sindha, senior vice president of southwest area field sales.

The biggest change for T-mobile’s

retail segment in the past five or so years is a growing presence of phone stores as anchors for shopping centers, Freier said.

While some shoppers can buy phone accessories online, major purchases and troubleshooting issues with phones still happen at brickand-mortar T-mobile stores, he said.

In 2018, the company will focus on more suburban and rural stores, more business-to-business products, more internet-connected accessories and technology investments to get to the next wireless standard, called 5G, by 2020, Freier said.

Recent investment in Showcase mall, best-known for the Coca-cola bottle and M&M characters on its facade, include a remodeled Adidas store, new Skechers store and American Eagle Outfitters.

The Nakash family — whose Jordache Enterprises conglomerate includes clothing, agriculture and aviation investments — bought the property in phases in 2014 and 2015 with Gindi Capital for about $367 million total.