— By Katie Lee — With more than 250 stores, Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming brings love and joy to pets and their pet parents — across more and more communities in North America. Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming, a leading pet grooming and gourmet treat destination, is coming off a banner year. In 2024, the boutique retail concept opened a record number of new stores, quadrupling its historical annual average of new openings with more than 50 new stores. Woof Gang is on track to open more than 70 …
Philadelphia — PREIT has named its next wave of retail additions to Cherry Hill Mall, one of the region’s premier shopping destinations, located in Cherry Hill, N.J. Anchoring the new lineup will be DICK’S House of Sport, a new retail experience from DICK’S Sporting Goods. Replacing the former One Cherry Hill office building, the new space will open in 2026 and introduce a new entrance, infusing fresh energy into the 1.3 million-square-foot shopping center. This targeted investment aligns with PREIT’s value-enhancing strategy with a focus on repurposing underutilized real estate …
Irvine, Calif. — T&T Supermarket, Canada’s largest Asian grocery retailer, will open its first Southern California store in the Great Park community — a master-planned development within the City of Irvine — slated for winter 2026. Following the debut of its first U.S. store in Bellevue, Wash., in December 2024, T&T is continuing its U.S. expansion with a location in Irvine. Located at The Canopy at Great Park, the new 34,000-square-foot store will have convenient access from the future 133 Freeway interchange and its proximity to the Great Park Sports …
Henderson, N.C. — Big Lots! will be reopening 132 stores in May 2025. This expansion under the direction of new owners, Variety Wholesalers, builds on the positive customer response to the initial reopenings of Big Lots! stores in April 2025 and further solidifies the discount retailer’s return to the American marketplace. “We’re excited to bring an additional 132 Big Lots! locations back to life in May,” says Lisa Seigies, president and CEO of Variety Wholesalers. Big Lots! stores will reopen in May in two phases, on May 1 and May …
Toronto — Hudson’s Bay Company ULC will liquidate its remaining six Hudson’s Bay stores and one Saks Fifth Avenue location. At this time, the company believes that a viable bid for the current six-store model is unlikely, and therefore will begin liquidation sales in these stores on April 25. The remaining locations will join the 73 other Hudson’s Bay, 13 Saks OFF 5TH and two Saks Fifth Avenue locations already undergoing liquidation sales following the company’s filing under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA). Should a buyer bid be accepted, …
— By Jaime Bettencourt — The human side of ‘smart stores’ in 2025. Technology is powering personalized store experiences that outperform e-commerce convenience. Capital One research reports that brick-and-mortar stores capture 80% of impulse purchases, a clear signal that physical retail remains unmatched for discovery and engagement. 2025’s winning retailers won’t just add screens and apps. Instead, they’ll enhance what algorithms can’t replicate: personalized discovery, human connection and sensory engagement. By focusing on these uniquely human elements, tomorrow’s retail innovations will make shopping more intuitive and digital. Making “Chance” Encounters …
Ontario, Calif. — Heritage Grocers Group, the largest Hispanic and ethnic food retailer in the country, has appointed Frank Ingraffia to the role of chief transformation officer (CTO). Ingraffia, CEO of Tony’s Fresh Market chain, takes on the Heritage CTO role in addition to his current duties and will work amongst the company’s offices in Chicago; Ontario, Calif.; and Dallas. He will report directly to Heritage Grocers Group’s chairman and CEO, Suzy Monford. As chief transformation officer, Ingraffia will lead Heritage’s transformation office which was created last December as the …
Jacksonville, Fla. — On April 17, Walmart opened a new 1 million-square-foot distribution center in Jacksonville, Fla. The facility receives and processes items for delivery to 18 Sam’s Club locations across Florida, Georgia and South Carolina as well as seven clubs in Puerto Rico. Located just 10 minutes from the Port of Jacksonville, the facility also stores and sorts imported goods for delivery to four distribution centers across the Southeast. “We’re proud to create a new slate of jobs in our community,” says Frank Herrera, general manager of the new …
Bolingbrook, Ill. — Ulta Beauty, Inc. has appointed Lauren Brindley as chief merchandising and digital officer, effective June 3, 2025. Brindley succeeds Monica Arnaudo who will retire in June. In her new role, Brindley will have executive responsibility for Ulta Beauty’s merchandising, e-commerce, wellness and marketplace strategies, while also leading the company’s assortment brand building strategy. “Providing our guests with the best beauty and wellness assortment while building strong, strategic partnerships with our brands is critical to Ulta Beauty’s future growth,” says Kecia Steelman, president and chief executive officer. “I’m …
Bentonville, Ark. — Sam’s Club, a division of Walmart, plans to remodel all 600 of its existing membership-based stores nationwide. As part of its long term strategy, Sam’s Club will also open 30 new locations over the next several years while building a pipeline to begin opening 15 new clubs annually. This marks the first expansion since 2017 after Sam’s Club closed 62 locations in 2018. The stores will be modeled after the Grapevine, Texas, location, which opened in December 2024. The new locations will span 160,000 square feet and …
