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Katie Lee

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Conn’s, Inc. and Belk to Pilot Store-Within-A-Store Concept

by Katie Lee

The Woodlands, Texas, and Charlotte, N.C. — Conn’s, Inc. and Belk have announced a strategic partnership to pilot a store-within-a-store concept in select Belk locations and online at Belk.com beginning later this summer. The new store format, which will launch under a new brand name soon to be announced, will provide Belk customers with access to Conn’s complementary home product categories, as well as next-day delivery. The store-within-a-store concept will be piloted in 10 to 20 Belk locations in Conn’s existing markets and through an e-commerce experience on Belk.com beginning …

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franchise developmentNewsrestaurants

Rush Bowls Continues U.S. Expansion with Several New Openings

by Katie Lee

Denver — Rush Bowls, a fast-casual concept known for its fresh and healthy meals-in-a-bowl, is continuing its rapid national expansion with several new locations expected to open in 2022. These new additions will be located in Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Texas, Minnesota and Colorado. Some of these new Rush Bowls locations will be making their debut: Just opened in late May in Southlake, Texas. Opening in mid-June in Birmingham, Ala. Opening in late June in Naples, Fla. Opening in mid-July in Boise, Idaho. Opening in August in Gainesville, Fla. Opening …

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Newspeopleretailers

West Marine Names New Chief Commercial Officer

by Katie Lee

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — West Marine, Inc. has appointed Stacey Renfro as chief commercial officer. She joins the company’s senior leadership team and reports to CEO Eric Kufel. She is a seasoned retail veteran whose resumé includes leadership positions at The Vitamin Shoppe, Pier 1 Imports and JC Penney. “We are extremely pleased to welcome Stacey Renfro to the West Marine team,” says Kufel. “Through her complex growth initiatives and game-changing strategies, she has built lifestyle brands and transformed omni-channel retailers to accelerate digital strategies. Stacy’s passion for boating and …

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construction and designNewsrestaurants

P.F. Chang’s Reopens Atlantic City Location as New Flagship Restaurant

by Katie Lee

Scottsdale, Ariz. — On May 29, P.F. Chang’s reopened its Atlantic City, N.J., location as an upgraded flagship restaurant. After 3 months of extensive renovations, the long-established Atlantic City location reopens as P.F. Chang’s first flagship restaurant on the East Coast — and third in the country. P.F. Chang’s newest flagship restaurant at 2801 N. Pacific Ave. originally opened in 2004. The 6,137-square-foot space, which spans two floors and seats 186 guests, underwent an extensive renovation, resulting in significant upgrades to design, décor and ambiance. “P.F. Chang’s prides itself in …

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Newsrestaurantssoftware/technologyvendors

Toast Restaurant Q1 Trends Report: Dine-In Growth Surges, Takeout and Delivery Decline

by Katie Lee

Boston — Toast, the all-in-one digital platform built for restaurants, has unveiled its Q1 Restaurant Trends Report, providing visibility into the overall state of the restaurant industry through aggregated sales data from restaurants on the Toast platform, which serves approximately 62,000 locations in the U.S. In Q1, the operating environment continued to change rapidly for restaurant operators — pandemic restrictions lifted throughout the U.S., leading to a surge in guests dining in, all while the industry continued to face a sustained labor shortage alongside rising input prices due to supply …

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Newspeopleretailersvendors

Superior Group of Companies Names Retail Operations Veteran as its New CFO

by Katie Lee

Seminole, Fla. — Superior Group of Companies, Inc. has appointed Michael Koempel to the role of chief financial officer (CFO), effective May 31, 2022. He previously served as COO of various major retail brands. Koempel, with more than 30 years of broad financial experience, has an impressive record of building and scaling high growth apparel and retail brands. Most recently, Koempel was chief operating officer of IT’SUGAR®, one of the largest specialty candy retailers in the U.S. Prior to that, Koempel served as chief operating officer of Victoria’s Secret Lingerie, …

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construction and designIndustry Voices

Catalyst for Transformation

by Katie Lee

— By John Gajewski, MRICS — Retail strategies for leveraging historic assets to build a competitive edge.   In a highly competitive, complex and dynamically shifting retail market, all eyes are on innovative solutions, and the conditions created by the COVID-19 pandemic have provided a catalyst for transformation. Takeout eateries and online megastores dominate the retail market based on convenience, selection and pricing. Traditional retailers must compete on alternative measures. Urban Outfitters, RH (formerly known as Restoration Hardware) and The Old Spaghetti Factory, some of the brick-and-mortar retailers that have …

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Veeve and Albertsons Partner to Expand AI-Powered Shopping Carts

by Katie Lee

Seattle — Veeve Inc., a leading retail technology startup, has formed an agreement with Albertsons Companies that will make Veeve Smart Carts available to customers at a few dozen stores across the country. Once launched later this year, consumers will be able to use the smart carts to skip the checkout line with a fast, convenient and contactless way to shop. Veeve Smart Carts feature a touch screen that provides a running total for in-cart items and a built-in scale for easy produce purchase. The tech-enhanced carts will also integrate …

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construction and designNewsretailers

Kohl’s Plans to Open 100 Smaller-Format Stores, Revitalize Existing Locations

by Katie Lee

Menomonee Falls, Wis. — Kohl’s plans to increase its investment in brick-and-mortar with the addition of 100 new, smaller-format locations over the next 4 years in previously untapped markets. This expansion follows the pilot of 20 stores featuring the company’s smaller-format design, which averages around 35,000 square feet versus the traditional 80,000-square-foot iteration. In June, the Menomonee Falls, Wis.-based company will be opening a smaller-format shop in Bonney Lake, Wash., and in the fall, stores are set to open in San Angelo, Texas; Morgantown, W.Va.; Tacoma, Wash.; and Lenox, Mass. …

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franchise developmentNewsrestaurants

Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop to Open 12 Locations in Miami

by Katie Lee

North Beach, Fla. — Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop will debut a new location in North Beach (Miami), Fla., on May 30. It is expected to be the first of 12 new locations to open in the area. The North Beach location is owned by the local Roca family of entrepreneurs. During the pandemic, the Rocas had all five nuclear family members together in Miami from different corners of the country. It was during this unexpected time that they decided to band together to bring their favorite food brand from Las Vegas …

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