Wayne, Pa. — Pet Valu, Inc., a specialty retailer of pet food and supplies in the United States, plans to commence a wind down of its operations due to severe impact from COVID-19. The company expects that all of its 358 stores and warehouses in the Northeastern and Midwestern U.S., as well as its corporate office in Wayne, Pa., will close by the end of the wind-down process. Pet Valu U.S. licenses its name and contracts for certain services from Pet Valu Canada, which is a separate company based in …
retailers
Charlotte, N.C. — Sonic Automotive, Inc., one of the nation’s largest automotive retailers, has added two industry leaders to its growing e-commerce team. Steve Wittman has joined as the company’s first chief digital retail officer, and Stephen Conrad has joined as the new vice president of e-commerce. Additionally, Sonic has appointed Marti Eulberg as chief creative officer, previously the company’s director of brand management. Wittman most recently served as vice president of global e-commerce at Hertz. He will report to Jeff Dyke, president of Sonic Automotive and EchoPark Automotive. As …
Seattle — Amazon.com, Inc. plans to open its first fulfillment center in Waco, Texas, which is anticipated to launch in 2021 and will create over 1,000 new full-time jobs with industry-leading pay and comprehensive benefits. “We are proud to be bringing our newest Amazon facility to the city of Waco and we look forward to bringing in new jobs and supporting this great community,” says Alicia Boler Davis, Amazon’s vice president of global customer fulfillment. “We are excited for our future in Central Texas, and for what this means for …
Dallas and San Francisco — PICKUP, a leading last-mile delivery service and logistics platform, has partnered with Postmates to provide retailers and brands with the ability to elegantly scale local delivery capability to meet surging demand for store-to-door delivery. PICKUP Enterprise manages the end-to-end customer experience including access to the top-rated PICKUP Good Guy network, which specializes in delivery and assembly of big and heavy goods. The partnership between PICKUP and Postmates will further expand retailer’s fulfillment capabilities for all items — from holiday décor and gifts, to furniture. “Our …
Austin, Texas — Quality men’s apparel brand Texas Standard has opened its first-ever retail store, located in the Hyde Park area of Austin, Texas, which also contains its corporate offices. Texas Standard is a men’s premium clothing brand designed and developed in Texas, known as the “Outfitters of the Texas Gentleman.” It offers a wide range of menswear products, including button- down shirts, polos, tees, gameday gear, accessories and its newest additions: the Tejas Guayabera and Modern Western Shirts. While the brand is offered through dozens of retail partners throughout …
St. Augustine, Fla. — The Spice & Tea Exchange is looking to expand its presence in New York. The gourmet spice and tea retail franchise looks to bring at least four new locations to the Empire State through franchising. The brand succeeds in markets with a vibrant population of local foodies and year-round tourists, making New York an attractive region for growth. The Spice & Tea Exchange’s current Port Jefferson, Long Island, location — undergoing plans for reopening — is a prime example of this model within a bustling area …
Plano, Texas — Cinemark Holdings, Inc., one of the world’s largest and most influential movie theatre companies, has reopened five of its Alameda County, Calif., theatres as of Oct. 27. Century San Francisco Centre 9 and XD as well as multiple Santa Clara County theatres will reopen Oct. 30. These theatres, which join the 13 Cinemark and Century theatres currently open in the Greater Bay Area, will reopen with enhanced cleanliness and safety protocols, Cinemark’s exclusive Private Watch Parties and this year’s newest films. With approximately 85% of its theatres …
San Francisco — Gap Inc., a longtime apparel tenant in enclosed regional malls nationwide, has announced plans to close 350 stores under its Banana Republic and Gap banners in an effort to transition focus to e-commerce and off-mall retail locations. Store closures are scheduled for completion by fiscal year 2023, which ends Feb. 1, 2024, with 75% scheduled to close in 2021. By that time, the company expects 80% of its revenue to come from e-commerce and off-mall locations, including street-front retail stores and shops in strip and outlet centers. …
New York City — Authentic Brands Group (ABG), a global brand development, marketing and entertainment company, and AR Holdings, a leading Latin American-based brand and retail operator, have partnered to grow Forever 21 across the territory. AR Holdings will drive Forever 21 across all channels in the region including its e-commerce, wholesale and 26 retail locations in Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama and Peru. “Over the last 8 years, Forever 21 has established a strong foothold in Latin America and we are excited to …
Union, N.J. — Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. has appointed Mary-Farrell Tarbox and Ann-Marie Clendenin as regional vice presidents (RVP) for the Central and East regions, respectively, effective October 26, 2020. Both will report directly to Gregg Melnick, executive vice president and chief stores officer. Tarbox will be responsible for over 350 of Bed Bath & Beyond’s retail stores across 22 states, while Clendenin will oversee another approximately 200 stores across 12 states. Tarbox and Clendenin will work with Melnick and his team to execute a cultural shift in the …