Author

Katie Lee

Newsretailers

Macy’s to Shutter 45 More Locations, Including Longtime Store at Chicago’s Water Tower Place

by Katie Lee

Chicago — Macy’s will close its longtime department store at Water Tower Place in Chicago, according to several media reports. The downtown mall is situated on the Magnificent Mile. Macy’s will begin a clearance sale this month at the 170,000-square-foot store. The retailer will continue to operate nearby stores in Skokie, Oak Brook, Schaumburg and Orland Park, Ill. In early 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic, Macy’s announced that it would close 125 stores nationwide over a 3-year period in an effort to right-size its store fleet. During the first week …

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construction and designNewsrestaurants

Burger King® Undergoing First Complete Rebrand in Over 20 Years

by Katie Lee

Miami — Burger King® is introducing a completely new visual design that will be present throughout all touchpoints of the guest experience. Inspired by real and delicious food, the more modern look marks the first complete rebrand in over 20 years. The announcement signals a commitment to digital-first expression and recent improvements to taste and food quality, through the removal of colors, flavors and preservatives from artificial sources from menu items, as well as an ambitious pledge to environmental sustainability. The brand will be rolling out a new brand logo, …

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construction and designNewspeople

Westwood Contractors Names New CEO

by Katie Lee

Fort Worth, Texas — Westwood Contractors has added Stefan Figley as chief executive officer, a role he officially assumed on December 7, 2020. Robert D. Benda, who has served as CEO since 2005, will continue with the company as chairman of the board. Figley, a Certified Franchise Executive, has more than 24 years of experience employing his strategic vision focusing on the key metrics driving EBITDA performance and multimillion-dollar revenue growth. Westwood Contractors is a general contractor with 37 years of experience providing general contracting services for retail, healthcare, hospitality, …

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Industry Voiceswaste management/recycling

A Delicate Balance

by Katie Lee

— By Anthony Dilenno — Balancing economic and environmental responsibility.   For restaurants and retailers, COVID-19 has disrupted every aspect of business. With so many critical issues that have risen to the top of the list of concerns, recycling programs tend to fall to the back burner as companies focus on economic survival. However, while COVID-19 (and a drop in scrap commodities prices) has driven up recycling costs for some items, prioritizing recycling of high-quality commodities still provides better value than sending trash to the landfill. America is facing a …

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Newspeopleretailers

Bed Bath & Beyond Appoints Retail/Brand Veteran as GM of buybuy BABY

by Katie Lee

Union, N.J. — Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. has named Patty Wu as senior vice president and general manager for buybuy BABY, effective January 18. Wu will report to John Hartmann, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. and president of buybuy BABY. Wu will be responsible for growing buybuy BABY and its customer base by executing a six-point strategy and capital investment plan that was outlined during the company’s recent Investor Day. The strategy will include extending the product range to include items for young …

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construction and designNewsrestaurants

Ruby Red’s BBQ, Designed by Oculus, to Debut in Los Angeles

by Katie Lee

Los Angeles — Ruby Red’s BBQ, a new Texas-style barbeque restaurant, will be coming to Los Angeles in April 2021. The restaurant is owned by Steve Williamson of Ruby Red’s, Majestic Retail Group and Williamson General Contracting; Oculus Inc., a full-service architecture and interior design firm based in St. Louis, is designing the fast-casual restaurant that has a high-end feel. “We were thrilled when Steve chose Oculus to design his first restaurant,” says Brian Kern, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, NCARB, principal and retail director at Oculus Inc. “We have a …

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Newsretailers

MARQUE Luxury Continues U.S. Expansion with New Location in New York City

by Katie Lee

New York City — MARQUE Luxury, the wholesale industry’s leading authority in authentic pre-owned designer goods, has opened its New York City showroom located at 261 5th Ave. in Manhattan. MARQUE’s New York City showroom is the first in the Northeast and third East Coast location. The opening will also add a new business development manager/account manager to MARQUE’s corporate team, continuing the company’s aggressive expansion plans in the United States ahead of the New Year and adding talented, experienced, industry veterans to its roster. Throughout the U.S. and online, …

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construction and designfranchise developmentNewsrestaurants

Del Taco Debuts Reimagined Store Design with “Fresh Flex” Prototype

by Katie Lee

Lake Forest, Calif. — Del Taco is debuting its highly-anticipated new store prototype: a sleek, bold, contemporary model, “Fresh Flex,” that reconceptualizes the restaurant inside and out. Striking exteriors and distinctive interiors evoke the brand’s contemporized feel. At the same time, the new design expands real estate opportunities to help lower net investment costs, provides ultimate convenience for guests and optimizes operational efficiencies. “Continuing to adapt and evolve is the lynchpin for Del Taco to remain ahead of the curve in the restaurant industry,” says John Cappasola, CEO of Del …

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Newsretailersvendors

Crate and Barrel Selects Glympse to Enhance Curbside Pickup Experience 

by Katie Lee

Northbrook, Ill. — Crate and Barrel is enhancing its curbside pickup with Glympse, a day-of-service mobile communications platform that facilitates and delivers proactive engagement between customers and store associates. The service is one of many enhancements in the retailer’s drive to meet customers where and how they want to shop by providing modern, digitally-forward shopping experiences that are personalized and flexible. Already, Glympse has afforded shorter wait times, streamlined operations and positive reactions from customers. Glympse delivers a modern customer experience by significantly reducing calls to the store and minimizing …

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Newsproperty managementretailers

Simon Property Group Completes Acquisition of Taubman Centers, Inc.

by Katie Lee

Indianapolis — Simon Property Group, Inc. has completed its acquisition of an 80% ownership interest in The Taubman Realty Group Limited Partnership (TRG) for approximately $3.4 billion. Under the terms of the transaction, Simon, through its operating partnership, Simon Property Group, L.P., acquired all of Taubman Centers, Inc. (TCO) common stock for $43.00 per share in cash, and the Taubman family sold approximately one-third of its ownership interest at the transaction price and remains a 20% partner in TRG. “We are very pleased to complete this transaction and to add …

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