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- Crabtree & Evelyn Files Chapter 11
(Miami Herald - 7/2/2009) The Connecticut-based Crabtree & Evelyn hopes bankruptcy helps it recover from losses. (full story)
- Kwik Trip Gets Whole Foods Feel
(CSP - 7/2/2009) Appealing to the soccer-mom demographic, the 354-store Kwik Trip chain is opting for a new look, one the company intends to expand across its entire network. What's most prominent is the emphasis on fresh food, inclusive of its roller grill selection, bananas-and-fruit display and coffee bar. Soft colors and lighting segment the store and add a warm, "Whole Foods" feel. (full story)
- Pier One's Hope for Future: How Bazaar
(StarTelegram.com - 7/2/2009) CEO Smith plans to return stores to the "bazaar" atmosphere shoppers once associated with the home furnishings importer by playing up jewelry, gifts for girls, stationery, epicurean items, and kitchen gadgets. (full story)
- The Year of the Opportunistic Retailer
(CrainsNewYork.com - 7/2/2009) As retail rents in Manhattan tumble, retailers are seizing the moment to open up shop in previously out-of-reach neighborhoods, such as SoHo or the Upper East Side. (full story)
- Spartan Adds Starbucks to VG's Stores
(mlive.com - 7/1/2009) The Starbucks cafe has been a popular feature of some of Spartan's 100 stores including the D &W Fresh Market chain. More Starbucks Cafes are being considered at other VG's stores.
(full story)
- The Latest Scoop on Baskin-Robbins
(PatriotLedger.com - 7/1/2009) The Canton-based ice cream chain now is trying out two new store concepts designed to appeal to value-conscious customers and more of an upscale demographic. (full story)
- Delaware Mall Unveils Upscale Future
(Delmarvanow.com - 7/1/2009) While the reinvigoration comes at a time of new frugality among consumers, the mall's bankrupt owners are betting its tax-free location and proximity to the interstate will put it in a position to prevail when the economy brightens. (full story)
- A.C. Moore Finishes First Half in Strength
(philly.com - 7/1/2009) Rick Lepley faced a challenge: How to get stingy customers to spend during the recession while still streamlining operations at A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts Inc.
(full story)
- Pumpkin Patch Struggles in US but Thrives in Australia
(TheWest.com.au - 6/30/2009) New Zealand-based children’s wear brand Pumpkin Patch intends to open more stores in Australia, where it sees opportunities in the next year or two to expand its business. It is closing 20 of its 35 stores in the US, after some of its recently opened shops in the country struggled to gain traction in the economic downturn.
(full story)
- Rue 21 Finds Longview Site
(News-Journal.com - 6/29/2009) R.J. Lander Construction recently received a city building permit in Longview, TX. Rue 21 will occupy about 4,500 square feet in the shopping center. (full story)
- Chain-Store Rule Rattles San Francisco
(San Francisco Business Times - 6/29/2009) Since voters approved Prop. G — the so-called neighborhood anti-chain retailer ordinance — in 2006, chain stores have been required to obtain an additional level of regulatory approval to open in parts of the city. Now, as retail vacancies rise, Prop. G threatens to complicate efforts to refill empty storefronts.
(full story)
- Meijer to Debut 'Smaller' Store Format in Chicago Market
(CSP - 6/29/2009) Mass merchandiser Meijer is rolling out a smaller-format, grocery-focused store in the Chicago suburb of Niles, Ill. The new store will be 102,000 sq. ft., about half the size of most Meijer supercenters. The store, which is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2010, will be grocery and pharmacy focused, while still providing some general merchandise offerings. (full story)
- Serra Steps Down at Foot Locker
(New York Post - 6/26/2009) Foot Locker -- confirming an exclusive April 28 report by The Post -- said Chief Executive Matt Serra is stepping down, and the company is tapping JC Penney President Ken Hicks as its new boss. (full story)
- Starbucks Lays Out New Global Design Strategy
(QSR Magazine - 6/26/2009) As company-operated stores are built and renovated, Starbucks will source materials and employ craftsmen on a localized basis, and will incorporate reused and recycled elements where possible. Starbucks aims to achieve LEED certification for all new company-operated stores beginning in 2010. (full story)
- Plain and Simple: The Uniqlo Formula
(The Independent - 6/25/2009) Until recently, Uniqlo was big in Japan but little known anywhere else. Now, the retailer's colourful, logo-free designs are sweeping the globe – and its owner is considering buying Gap. So what makes it recession-proof? (full story)
- Best Buy to Open 40 Mobile Phone Stores
(Mobiledia - 6/25/2009) The Richfield, Minn.-based company's new chief executive, Brian Dunn, said mobile phones will be a crucial part of the company's new campaign to focus on "gadgets with connectivity." (full story)
- Dress Barn./Tween Brands Merger
(Business Wire - 6/25/2009) Dress Barn, Inc. to add 908 Justice stores, the leading specialty apparel retailer to tween girls. Combined company to operate 2,465 locations, generating $2.4 billion of pro forma net sales.
(full story)
- Mary's Pizza Shack Expands with Fast-Casual Concept
(QSR Magazine - 6/23/2009) The grandson-in-law of founder Mary Fazio will lead the development of the new fast-casual concept, which will offer a fresh menu of contemporary Italian cuisine, with many of the items prepared in a central brick oven, including roasted chicken and other meats, and a new take on the company's signature pizzas. (full story)
- Best Buy Testing Used Video Game Sales
(InsideBayArea.com - 6/23/2009) A kiosk scans games customers place inside to make sure they work and issues vouchers for store gift cards, Judge said. Some kiosks also will let shoppers rent movies and video games. (full story)
- Leases in Troubled Times
(GlobeSt.com - 6/23/2009) Due to a spate of retailer bankruptcies, both tenants and landlords must be aware of their rights and obligations under their leases. (full story)
- Walgreens May Bring Back Beer and Wine
(Chicago Tribune - 6/23/2009) The retailer had been selling liquor since the end of Prohibition but stopped at most of its stores more than a decade ago because of the cost of managing the business. (full story)
- London is Top Retail Property Market
(Property Wire - 6/22/2009) Some 60% of the world's top retailers are attracted to London followed by Paris with 49%, New York with 47% and then Dubai with 46%, according to the report from property consultants CB Richard Ellis. (full story)
- Award-Winning Aldi
(Business.Scotsman.com - 6/22/2009) The firm scooped the top prize at the annual Grocer Gold Awards and was also named discounter of the year at the event. The award comes after the chain was also named supermarket of the year at the Which? awards, and won seven titles at the British Frozen Food Federation Awards. (full story)
- Man Alive, Finish Line Part Ways
(IndyStar.com - 6/22/2009) Finish Line entered into an agreement with a newly formed LLC called Man Alive Acquisition. Finish Line will pay MA $7 million, including $5 million in cash to take off its hands 75 retail stores that go by the nameplate Man Alive or its recently rebranded streetwear concept, Decibel. (full story)
- Active Acquired Out of Bankruptcy
(Footwear News - 6/22/2009) Issa Ladha, manager of Active Sports Lifestyle, will become the owner of up to 20 of the retailer’s locations, including Active Ride Shop’s headquarters and warehouse, depending upon lease negotiations. (full story)
- Mall Brands - Where Are They Now
(Minyanville - 6/19/2009) Browse the clickable mall directory stype map for some interesting/amusing tidbits on a handful of retail concepts. (full story)
- Pacific Sunwear Selects Ex-Vans Chief to be CEO
(LA Times - 6/18/2009) Gary H. Schoenfeld, 46, will take over as chief executive June 29, the company said. He had a nine-year tenure at Vans, ending in 2004, and later became co-CEO and president of Global Brands Group. (full story)
- Cheap Chic Romy Looks to Grow Fast
(Yakima Herald - 6/17/2009) Romy is looking to open 200 stores as quickly as possible, Steele said. The store's current plan is to open a store a week through November and begin opening two stores a week in January. (full story)
- Best Buy Planning Radical Store Remodel
(Twice - 6/17/2009) Best Buy will move its Geek Squad stations to the center of the sales floor and surround them with room vignettes that demonstrate the capabilities of converged products. The new store model could also accommodate new product categories that are currently being tested, including exercise equipment, musical instruments and possibly used videos.
(full story)
- Abercrombie Shutting Struggling Ruehl
(Columbus Business First - 6/17/2009) The New Albany-based apparel merchant said Wednesday it will shut Ruehl’s 29 stores and direct-to-consumer operations and will be “substantially complete” with the effort by the end of next January. (full story)
- Eddie Bauer Files for Bankruptcy
(CNNMoney.com - 6/17/2009) The outdoor clothing retailer plans to sell most of its assets to private-equity firm CCMP Capital Advisors for $202 million. It expects the sale will be complete in 60 days or less. (full story)
- Filene's Rescued by Syms
(New York Post - 6/16/2009) Syms, known for its men's suits and other discounted designer clothing, is expected to pay $63 million to keep the 100-year-old retailer alive. (full story)
- Fantastic Sams Looking to Grow
(Fort Worth Business Press - 6/15/2009) Fantastic Sams plans to accelerate the company’s franchising program and nearly double the number of salons nationwide in the next five years to seven years. (full story)
- Golden Gate Acquires J. Jill
(BloggingStocks.com - 6/14/2009) Jill Acquisition LLC, an affiliate of Golden Gate, agreed to purchase the womenswear retailer for approximately $75 million. The deal includes assets and liabilities, including a distribution center in New Hampshire, and intellectual property and inventory. Jill Acquisition assumes the leases of 204 J. Jill stores, with the remaining 75 expected to be closed by Talbots. Talbots' board unanimously approved the deal, and the transaction is expected to be completed in the second quarter.
(full story)
- Malls Court Smaller Retailers on Temporary Leases
(JSOnline.com - 6/14/2009) Merchandise isn't the only thing on sale at the malls these days. Good deals abound on all that space left vacant by bankrupt national retailers, and locals are seizing the opportunities. (full story)
- Chicago City Council Revisits Walmart Question
(ChicagoTribune.com - 6/12/2009) The battle over Wal-Mart’s plans for Chicago, which roiled the City Council five years ago, will be rejoined soon. (full story)
- Stupid Prices A Hit in Bad Times
(Puget Sound Business Journal - 6/12/2009) Smart Buys at Stupid Prices operates 22 deep-discount stores in Washington and California. The chain has plans to open at least two more outlets in California, and is shopping for locations in Tacoma, Bellevue, Lacey and Bellingham.
(full story)
- First Sheetz in South Central WV
(WV Gazette - 6/12/2009) Sheetz plans to open stores in Milton next month, and in Hurricane on October 1. A West Huntington store is expected to open in August.
The chain is searching for store sites in Charleston, Beckley and Parkersburg. (full story)
- Second Supermercado de Walmart Signals More Vigorous Hispanic Effort
(BNET Retail - 6/12/2009) Wal-Mart opened its second Hispanic-oriented Neighborhood Market conversion yesterday in Phoenix and, while the format itself remains a test, what the company is learning from it will be put to work quickly. (full story)
- David's Bridal Thrives in Good Times and Bad
(Reuters.com - 6/11/2009) David's Bridal has added about 15 to 30 stores annually since 1999. Even in the past year's gloomy retail environment, it opened 20 stores. The brand's budget-friendly reputation appears to be paying off. (full story)
- HHGregg Heads to Tampa Bay Market
(St. Petersburg Times - 6/11/2009) An Indianapolis chain with 111 stores and national ambitions, HHGregg plans to have about a half-dozen outlets open in the Tampa Bay area before the Christmas holidays. (full story)
- Bankrupt Shoe Retailer May Close More Stores
(St. Louis Business Journal - 6/11/2009) The University City-based company operates 15 discount shoe stores across the country under the EJ’s Designer Shoe Outlet, E&J’s Designer Shoe Outlet and Shoe Cents names. The company previously was known as Famous Brand Shoes. It will close stores in Texas and Arizona if it can’t renegotiate cheaper rents with its landlords.
(full story)
- Jamba Juice Expands Menu
(Adweek.com - 6/11/2009) The company debuted a new menu that adds several food items including sandwiches, salads and flatbreads, as well as cold tea infusions. (full story)
- Room & Board Opening DC Store
(Business Wire - 6/11/2009) The new store, located at 1840 14th Street Northwest, will initially employ approximately 50 design associates and staff members at its distribution center. The 31,600 square foot store will honor the historical integrity of the building and surrounding neighborhood. The existing shell will be refurbished to preserve its historic character, reflecting Room & Board’s environmental philosophy of design. Room & Board is currently searching for a separate distribution center in the area to facilitate customer deliveries. (full story)
- Filene's Basement Back on the Block
(Boston.com - 6/11/2009) Men's Wearhouse yesterday dropped its $67 million bid to buy Filene's Basement and an auction for the bankrupt chain will be reopened tomorrow, according to one of the losing bidders, Stanley Chera of Crown Acquisitions. (full story)
- American Eagle Signs Franchise Deal for Middle East
(Columbus Business First - 6/11/2009) M.H. Alshaya is a major retail franchisee in the region and also has deals with New Albany-based Tween Brands Inc. and Columbus-based Express LLC, among 50 other retailers and restaurants. (full story)
- Berean Christian Stores Files Chapter 11
(Christian Retailing - 6/11/2009) Announcing the June 9 move, Berean President Bill Simmons told Christian Retailing that he expected a purchase would be completed by the end of July, ensuring that the company would be "adequately capitalized well into the future." (full story)
- Old Navy: Remodels in US, Expansion Abroad
(RetailingToday.com - 6/10/2009) “We’re pleased with the results we’ve seen from the new store prototype that has been tested this year in two Old Navy stores in California, and we’ll invest in 50 additional remodels this year.” Internationally, the company will continue to open new stores, including some 40 new franchise stores in 20 countries by the end of the year as well as expanding in the UK, Japan and Canada.
(full story)
- Talbot's To Sell J.Jill
(TheBostonChannel.com - 6/9/2009) Women's clothing retailer Talbots Inc. says it will sell the J. Jill brand to a private equity firm for $75 million, a fraction of the $517 million it paid to acquire the brand in 2006. (full story)
- What to Do With Empty Suburban 'Big Box' Stores
(Daily Herald - 6/8/2009) Reuses range from a glow-in-the-dark mini golf course taking over a former Steve and Barry's store in Bloomingdale to a gymnastics academy relocating to a vacant South Barrington Circuit City store. Then there's a Kane County Circuit Clerk's office that set up shop in a former Montgomery Ward building in St. Charles and a church and school occupying an old Kmart. (full story)
- Nordstrom to Add a Rack in Houston
(Chron.com - 6/8/2009) The off-price store will occupy a 30,000 sq. ft. space across from The Galleria at Post Oak and Westheimer. Opening is planned some time between Feb. 15 and May 15 of 2010. Nordstrom has a store in The Galleria. (full story)
- Frugality Forces Retailers to Adapt
(Sydney Morning Herald - 6/8/2009) Fresh from a tour organised by Westfield of British, American, Japanese and German stores, retailers and marketers are mulling over what trends might make their way here over the next year as the industry prepares for an uncertain future. (full story)
- Men's Wearhouse Bids $67M for Filene's Basement
(SportsOneSource.com - 6/8/2009) Filene's Basement announced that an affiliate of Men's Wearhouse emerged as the winning bidder in a nine-hour bankruptcy auction for assets of the off-price chain that was held in Manhattan on Friday. Other bidders included Syms and New York real estate firm Crown Acquisitions.
(full story)
- Wal-Mart Stores Getting Makeover
(wfie.com - 6/7/2009) There's a fresh exterior look in shades of brown.
Inside, there's bright yellow and blue. Aisles are wider, shelves and racks are lower, signs are larger and checkout lines are easier to navigate.
The pharmacy is now in the middle of the store, close to things like the food department. It'll take about three months to renovate each store. The entire nation-wide project will take five years to complete.
(full story)
- When Smaller is Better
(Clarionledger.com - 6/4/2009) "Sometimes smaller space allows them to focus more on a specific type of merchandise, a certain level of service, something that's more difficult to do when you're somewhere with more square footage," said Scott Krugman, spokesman for the National Retail Federation. (full story)
- Banner Mattress Emerges from Chapter 11
(Furniture Today - 6/2/2009) Since the company filed for bankruptcy protection in June 2008, it has closed 23 of its 37 Southern California retail stores, significantly reduced its operating expenses and restructured its balance sheet. (full story)
- Topshop Plans 15 Stores for US
(Drapers - 6/2/2009) The first US location for the British fashion retailer opened in April in New York's Soho area. The 25,000 sq. ft. location, split over four floors, includes a Topman store. (full story)
- Crate & Barrel’s CB2 Scouts Atlanta
(Atlanta Business Chronicle - 6/1/2009) The CB2 concept, which sells sofas, hand-woven rugs, convertible beds and eclectic home décor, is focused on the younger generation of American consumers that rent apartments and small urban lofts. (full story)
- Oilily Files Chapter 11
(Crains NewYorkBusiness.com - 6/1/2009) After closing eight US retail locations over the last few months, Dutch clothing brand Oilily is attempting to renegotiate its remaining 25 leases nationwide. (full story)
- Upscale Macy's Seen as Good Fit at River Park
(Fresnobee.com - 6/1/2009) Macy's bids for River Park and Visalia Mall -- as well as bids by Los Angeles-based Forever 21 for 14 other Gottschalks locations -- are subject to approval by a bankruptcy court judge at a June 10 hearing. If its offer is approved, Macy's will be poised to double its retail space in the central San Joaquin Valley. (full story)
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