retailers

Boston — On May 23, 2024, Wayfair Inc. opened the doors to its first large-format store, located in Wilmette, Ill. Spanning 150,000 square feet, the two-story Wayfair store is a one-stop shopping destination for all things home — including furniture, home decor, housewares, appliances and home improvement products, for any style, space or budget. A digitally native retailer specialized in the home, Wayfair brings its well-loved combination of value, selection, service and fast shipping to an immersive in-person store. This is its first brick-and-mortar store. “We are committed to providing …

Katy, Texas — Academy Sports + Outdoors, a leading full-line sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailer, has opened its first store in Ohio. Located in Zanesville, the approximately 54,000-square-foot store marks the third store Academy has opened in 2024. Academy plans to continue its expansion efforts with the goal of opening 15-17 stores in its fiscal 2024 year, and a total of 160 to 180 new stores over the next 5 years. “Academy Sports + Outdoors is excited to join the Zanesville community and provide customers with a destination that …

Kill Devil Hills, N.C. — Wawa, Inc. has opened its first store in the state of North Carolina. Located in Kill Devil Hills, this is the first of nine Wawa stores slated to open in North Carolina before the end of summer and 10 by year’s end. “We are excited to fly into North Carolina and bring our unique combination of fresh food and beverage, convenience and service to this state for the very first time. This historic milestone kicks off our ongoing growth and expansion in North Carolina as …

Tokyo and New York City — GU, the Japanese apparel retailer and sister brand of UNIQLO, plans to open GU NY SOHO, the brand’s first overseas flagship store, in fall 2024 in the SoHo neighborhood of New York. Following a successful pop-up location, the permanent store will offer women’s and men’s clothing across two floors, as well as shoes, bags and accessories. An online store with the same product lineup as the physical store will also launch at the same time, delivering GU products nationwide. With a sales floor area …