Boston — Wayfair, a Boston-based e-commerce firm specializing in furniture, will open three brick-and-mortar stores in the Boston area in 2022. The first two stores will be located within open-air centers in Lynnfield and Dedham that are owned by WS Development and will carry the company’s AllModern brands. The third store will be located within Simon Property Group’s Burlington Mall and will carry the Joss & Main brand. Wayfair plans to open more stores to support other brands over the next 2 years. SOURCE: www.REBusinessOnline.com
— By Greg Houck — How emerging mixed-use trends can translate to long term success. Mixed-use projects have a retail problem. Too often, incorporating retail spaces into a mixed-use project is straightforward and static: a single complimentary demand driver, such as a high-rise multifamily with convenient ground-floor grocer. With this approach, the residential component may subsidize a portion of revenues for the tenant, but most often it isn’t sufficient enough and local demand has not been fully understood. Over the past several years there has been many exciting innovations …
Livonia, Mich. — Pet Supplies Plus recently celebrated its 600th grand opening in Gresham, Ore. Additionally, the independent pet supplies retailer signed 107 new store commitments for this year alone. Out of those signings, 62 are new franchise owners who are joining the experienced retailer, and 45 existing owners will be opening additional locations. The local entrepreneurs of the 600th store are new franchisees Tom and Julie Meehan. “Pet Supplies Plus’ tremendous new store growth is not only from new owners joining our pack but also from owners who have …
Waltham, Mass. — On December 7, 2021, Jewel-Osco unveiled the company’s first micro fulfillment center (MFC) at the Westmont store in Chicago. The 20,000-square-foot MFC facility allows for a seamless shopping experience for customers by pairing a brick-and-mortar store with home delivery through artificial intelligence. The micro fulfillment center is an automated rack and tote system that prepares orders for delivery through a partnership with Waltham, Mass.-based grocery technology company Takeoff Technologies. More than 6,000 totes of product are shuttled from their allotted space inside Takeoff and elevators move the …
Hudson, Ohio — JOANN, the nation’s category leader in fabrics and sewing and one of the fastest-growing players in the craft space, has added two industry leaders to its executive team: Joe Thibault (senior vice president, store operations) and Lisa Wittman-Smith, senior vice president, inventory management & business insights. An experienced retail leader, Thibault was promoted to senior vice president, store operations in November 2021 after more than 19 years with the company. In his current role, Thibault oversees all field operations, including more than 850 stores. This includes responsibility …
Indianapolis — Leading sports retailer Lids is expanding its brick-and-mortar retail presence internationally with the opening of its first standalone stores in Europe. For its European debut, Lids will open four locations throughout the London metropolitan area: Seven Dials (now open) and The 02 Peninsula Square in London, Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex, and Churchill Square Shopping Centre Russel Place in Brighton, all opening in December. “London is a natural fit for Lids,” says Britten Maughan, president of Lids. “The enthusiasm for both American sports and street wear aligns with …
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — IT’SUGAR, a subsidiary of BBX Capital, Inc., has opened its newest retail location at the Ala Moana Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. The 18,000-square-foot location is IT’SUGAR’s second candy department store and features more than 30 candy stations, a branded Sour Patch® shop, a branded OREO® department and a TikTok area. “We are pleased that IT’SUGAR is expanding throughout the United States and has opened its first Hawaii flagship store at Ala Moana Center. The center is believed to be one of the largest open-air shopping centers …
Goodlettsville, Tenn. — Dollar General has unveiled plans to open approximately 1,000 new Popshelf stores by the end of fiscal year 2025, including roughly 100 stores in fiscal year 2022. Each Popshelf store spans approximately 9,000 square feet and offers seasonal and home décor, health and beauty products, cleaning supplies and party goods. The target customer is primarily female, lives in the suburbs and maintains an annual household income ranging from $50,000 to $125,000, according to the retailer. Dollar General, which is based in Goodlettsville near Nashville, debuted the Popshelf …
New York — WHP Global, parent company of Toys”R”Us®, is gearing up for the grand opening of a new two-story Toys”R”Us flagship store inside American Dream, the unmatched entertainment/retail center in Bergen County, N.J. The first U.S. Toys”R”Us flagship store will feature a modern two-level retail concept that spans 20,000 square feet. The flagship will be reminiscent of the beloved toy store customers know and love, with interactive experiences and product demonstrations, and new branded elements like Geoffrey’s Café and ice cream parlor, two-story slide and more. Located within steps …
Monterrey, Mexico — As Ace Hardware continues to grow globally, Ace Hardware International Holdings, Ltd., a subsidiary of Ace Hardware Corporation, opened its first store in Monterrey, Mexico, on October 28, 2021, with plans to open 13 additional stores by the end of 2022. The store is the first under Ace’s new turnkey franchise model announced in 2020. Ace now operates in approximately 70 countries and has opened more than 900 stores globally in the past 5 years. The new Ace Hardware store occupies more than 14,000 square feet, with …