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Kohl’s Appoints New Chief Executive Officer

by Katie Lee

Menomonee Falls, Wis. — Kohl’s Corporation and its board of directors have unanimously appointed Michael J. Bender as chief executive officer, effective Nov. 23, 2025. He had served as interim chief executive officer since May 1, 2025. Bender will continue to serve on the company’s board. “Over the past several months as interim CEO, Michael has proven to be an exceptional leader for Kohl’s — progressively improving results, driving short and long term strategy, and positively impacting cultural change,” says John Schlifske, board chair. “With three decades of leadership experience …

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construction and designNewsretailers

Boot Barn Opening 500th Store, Marking Milestone in Coast-to-Coast Growth

by Katie Lee

Irvine, Calif. — Boot Barn Holdings, Inc. is opening its 500th store this month. This milestone arrives alongside several new store openings across the nation — including stores in Killeen, Texas; East Peoria, Ill., Phoenix; Deptford, N.J.; Indio, Calif.; Chandler, Ariz. — and a meaningful return to Huntington Beach, Calif., where the very first Boot Barn store opened its doors in 1978. From that single storefront, Boot Barn has grown its nationwide presence to span 49 states. “Reaching our 500th store is a proud moment for all of us, from …

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Winn-Dixie Expands Amazon Return Kiosks to 68 Additional Stores Across Florida

by Katie Lee

Jacksonville, Fla. — Winn-Dixie is expanding its popular in-store Amazon return kiosks to 68 additional locations across 23 Florida counties, giving even more customers a convenient, hassle-free way to return Amazon packages while they shop for groceries. The expansion builds on the successful pilot launch of Amazon return kiosks at 20 Winn-Dixie stores across the greater Jacksonville area, including in Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties. It also reinforces Winn-Dixie’s ongoing commitment to delivering convenience and value while strengthening its collaboration with Amazon. “We’ve seen incredible enthusiasm from customers …

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From Reactive to Proactive

by Katie Lee

— By Etrit Demaj — Smart tech rewrites the retail maintenance playbook. Retail and restaurant operators have long accepted reactive maintenance as the cost of doing business. When equipment breaks, facility teams respond, often at high cost and with little warning. But this break-fix cycle no longer works in today’s environment of shrinking margins, energy mandates and rising customer expectations. A growing number of multi-site operators are shifting to a proactive, tech-enabled maintenance model that prevents problems, instead of waiting for them to arise. This approach turns building systems into …

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construction and designNewsretailers

Academy Sports + Outdoors Opens 5 New Stores in Fourth Quarter

by Katie Lee

Katy, Texas — Academy Sports + Outdoors has opened five new locations in Q4 2025 in Russellville, Ark.; Seguin, Texas; Fort Wayne, Ind.; El Paso, Texas; and New Braunfels, Texas. With the addition of these stores, Academy will have opened 24 total new locations by the end of fiscal 2025. “We are thrilled to expand our footprint with 24 new stores,” says Eric Friederich, senior vice president of retail operations at Academy Sports + Outdoors. Academy is a leading full-line sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailer in the United States. …

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Newspeopleretailers

Dollar General Corporation Appoints COO; Promotes 3 Additional Executives

by Katie Lee

Goodlettsville, Tenn. — Dollar General Corporation has promoted Emily Taylor to be the company’s new chief operating officer (COO), effective Nov. 16, 2025. She most recently served as Dollar General’s executive vice president and chief merchandising officer. Taylor brings more than 25 years of Dollar General experience to the COO role, having first joined the company in 1998. As COO, she will have responsibility for store operations, global supply chain, merchandising, marketing and digital, real estate and store development, decision science, and process improvement organizations. “Emily’s strategic vision and tenured …

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Walmart Names New President and Chief Executive Officer

by Katie Lee

Bentonville, Ark. — The board of directors of Walmart Inc. has elected John Furner to succeed Doug McMillon as president and chief executive officer, effective Feb. 1, 2026. Furner was also elected to the company’s board of directors, effective immediately. McMillon will retire on Jan. 31, 2026, but remain on the board of directors until the next annual shareholders’ meeting and help ensure a smooth transition. “John Furner is the right leader to guide Walmart into our next chapter of growth and transformation,” says Greg Penner, chairman of Walmart Inc. …

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Wienerschnitzel Opens First Walmart Store Restaurant in Arizona

by Katie Lee

Tempe, Ariz. — Wienerschnitzel, the world’s largest hot dog franchise, is celebrating its first restaurant opening inside a Walmart Supercenter, located in Tempe, Ariz., this month. This milestone marks the beginning of a broader non-traditional growth initiative, with six franchised restaurants planned for Walmart stores across the U.S. As Wienerschnitzel accelerates its expansion strategy, the opportunity with the retail giant represents a major step forward in bringing the legacy brand’s signature menu to high-traffic, convenience-driven environments. Additional restaurants are slated for Puyallup, Wash.; Alamogordo, N.M.; Reno, Nev.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; …

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construction and designNewsretailers

Wayfair Testing Smaller Store Format with First Ohio Location

by Katie Lee

Boston — Wayfair Inc. will open its newest namesake retail location in Columbus, Ohio, in late 2026. At approximately 70,000 square feet, or about half the size of previously announced Wayfair stores, the Columbus location will serve as the company’s first prototype for a smaller-format model. This will also be Wayfair’s first brick-and-mortar location in the state of Ohio. “As we scale our retail strategy, we are focused on both expansion and experimentation,” says Liza Lefkowski, vice president of merchandising and stores at Wayfair. “Not only are we thrilled to …

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Shoe Carnival to Change Name to Shoe Station Group

by Katie Lee

Fort Mill, S.C. — Shoe Carnival, Inc., a leading retailer of footwear and accessories for the family, has noted that its board of directors has unanimously voted to change the corporate name to Shoe Station Group, Inc., subject to approval of the name change by shareholders at the company’s annual shareholder meeting in June 2026. The company expects over 90% of its fleet to operate as Shoe Station by the end of fiscal 2028, with the remaining locations being evaluated for re-bannering, outlet repositioning or closure. The company has completed …

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