— Interview with Neil Gill — As the leader in dog daycare, Dogtopia is on track to open 50 new locations this year through robust retail franchising and a business model that focuses on overall wellness — for the dogs and their humans. As the saying goes, “Pets are people too.” And lucky are the dogs who get to experience day care at Phoenix-based Dogtopia, which currently operates 166 locations across 35 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces. During the height of the pandemic in 2020, when …
Kerrville, Texas — James Avery Artisan Jewelry, a Texas-based and family-owned jewelry retailer, opened its second of three stores in H-E-B. The new store is a 352-square-foot space at the H-E-B in Portland, Texas. The H-E-B location will offer customers many of their favorite classic designs as well as new releases and services, including charm soldering and jewelry cleaning. “Like many Texans, we love H-E-B and are excited to partner with this iconic brand to make shopping even more convenient for our customers,” says Lindsey Avery Tognietti, James Avery’s director …
Grand Rapids, Mich. — Meijer has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency’s GreenChill Program for having the lowest corporate-wide refrigerant emissions rate out of all GreenChill Partners over the past year. The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based grocer has focused on reducing its refrigerant leak rate for at least 12 years and is now 18.2% below the industry average. “Refrigeration plays a vital role in ensuring foods are stored at the proper temperature before they’re purchased by our customers, but many people don’t realize it makes an impact on the environment,” …
Lewisville, Texas — JCPenney has unveiled additional details on the retail strategy and product offerings for JCPenney Beauty. The retailer’s new, inclusive in-store and online experience will open at 10 JCPenney store locations across the country beginning in mid-October, and on jcp.com starting Oct. 15. Featuring 170+ beauty brands, the assortment will span makeup, skincare, haircare, styling tools, fragrance, nailcare, and bath and body products at varying price points. “Rooted in inclusivity, JCPenney Beauty grew out of direct feedback from our customers,” says Michelle Wlazlo, executive vice president and chief …
Ankeny, Iowa — Casey’s General Stores, Inc., a leading convenience store chain in the United States, has agreed to acquire 40 Pilot convenience stores from Pilot Corporation in an all-cash transaction for $220 million. The 40 Pilot stores will extend Casey’s presence in Tennessee and Kentucky with well-established locations primarily in the Knoxville, Tenn., market. “These stores have a track record of strong performance, and are high quality assets that will be a great fit for Casey’s fresh food program, especially our handmade pizza,” says Darren Rebelez, president and chief …
Pearland, Texas — Buff City Soap, a rapidly expanding handmade retail franchise known for its plant-based soap and body products made in-store daily, recently opened its first Houston-area location in Pearland, Texas. The new store opened on September 23 in Pearland Town Center. “Bringing Buff City Soap to Houston is an amazing milestone for both us here locally and the brand in general,” says operating partner Brad Reece. “We can’t wait to begin offering an interactive retail experience for our guests and provide them with the very best soap and …
Kansas City, Mo. — Trademark Property Company, mixed-use investor, developer and operator, completed the initial renovations of Zona Rosa, a 1.1 million-square-foot mixed-use town center located in Kansas City’s Northland. “By carefully considering each amenity addition and renovation, we’ve reinvigorated the overall Zona Rosa experience to be a vital part of the community,” says Terry Montesi, CEO of Trademark Property. Zona Rosa improvements included tearing down a building to create open green space featuring outdoor seating, lawn games and event activities, including The Rink at Zona Rosa, an outdoor ice rink available …
Union, N.J. — Bed Bath & Beyond® has formed a partnership with DoorDash, the nation’s leading last-mile logistics platform, to offer consumers on-demand delivery of essential homeware products and items from more than 700 Bed Bath & Beyond locations and nearly 120 buybuy BABY® locations nationwide. With this partnership, Bed Bath & Beyond becomes the first home retailer and buybuy BABY the first baby goods retailer available on the DoorDash marketplace app and website. “As we continue our transformation to a digital-first, omni-always retailer, DoorDash is an ideal partner to …
Indianapolis — Leading sports retailer Lids has promoted Britten Maughan to president. He has been a key factor in Lids’ continued growth since he joined the company in 2019. In his role as a senior vice president, marketing and partnerships, Maughan has overseen all aspects of product, marketing, merchandising, partnerships and distribution for the retailer. Most notably, he implemented an improved business process with the introduction of data analytics to drive merchandising and allocation decision making. He has also run point on improving product assortment. “I am fortunate to be …
Coppell, Texas — The Container Store, leading specialty retailer of storage and organization solutions and custom closets, has joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership. The Container Store is using more than 57 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, which is enough green power to meet 100% of the organization’s electricity use. By choosing green power, The Container Store is helping lead the transition to a cleaner energy future. As part of The Container Store’s commitment and effort, all of its stores, distribution centers and corporate office …
