Thursday, January 26, 2012

Dollar stores among the new retail powerhouses

No longer dusty, out-of-the-way haunts, dollar stores have grown into a $56 billion industry, a 43 percent increase since 1998, according to the industry research firm IBISWorld.

One of the few niches of retail expanding in a dim economy, the dollar store industry's four top players -- three of which are Fortune 500 companies -- are no longer snubbed by developers, landlords, investors and consumers because of their perceived working-class customer.. . . more

New Bon-Ton CEO to learn from buyers

Hoffman subscribes to 'customer is always right'

The statement "the customer is always right" is a cliché in the retail industry, but Brendan L. Hoffman says today it makes more sense than ever.

And it's the philosophy by which he intends to follow as the new top executive of The Bon-Ton Stores Inc.. . . more

Bottom Dollar Food to open 7 Pittsburgh locations

Two-thirds of the groceries in a Bottom Dollar Food store are national brands. Think Oscar Mayer Lunchables, Lay's potato chips and Van de Kamp's frozen fish.

But Pittsburgh-area shoppers who visit the discount grocer's first seven local stores, opening today, also will find private-label items with unfamiliar names such as My Essentials, Hannaford and Home 360. Depending on the product, brand and competitor, Bottom Dollar Food claims, its prices run 10 to 50 percent less than those at other stores.. . . more

Judge approves A&P bankruptcy exit financing

The judge in the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy case on Tuesday approved a $750 million exit financing plan for the supermarket operator.

The approval moves A&P closer toward exiting Chapter 11 and operating as a  privately held company.
. . . more

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

BJ’s Bows 3 Locations

BJ’s Wholesale Club Inc. has opened three club locations in Gainesville, Va., and Deer Park and Ithaca, N.Y. The Westborough, Mass.-based wholesale club retailer offers significant savings on groceries, including a wide selection of certified organic and all-natural varieties, and such general merchandise as premium consumer electronics and appliances. . . more

TCBY, Mrs. Fields to add units, new products

Fresh from a recapitalization by new owners, the TCBY and Mrs. Fields brands are heading into a year of innovative products, new franchising opportunities and building their presence in grocery stores. . . more

Jumeirah Group Eyes Franchising in the U.S

P.F. Chang’s watch out! There’s going to be a new player in town, and it might cannibalize your business. “the noodle house,” from United Arab Emirates (UAE) company Jumeirah Group, plans to open in the U.S. this year and it’s energetically seeking franchise partners. The first noodle house is likely to open in the fourth quarter of 2012, and the company expects it to be in one of four locales: Florida, Boston, Washington, DC, or Atlanta. . . more

Providence's Arcade to reopen in fall as mix of retail, professional lofts

The Arcade, America's oldest indoor mall, will reopen in the fall with a mix of retail and lofts that would retain much of the 1828 building's historic character, owner Evan Granoff said at a news conference Wednesday.

Granoff said14 new shops and restaurants will open on the first floor. The restaurants, he said, will have separate entrances so they can remain open past the retail floor's 9 p.m. closing.
. . . more

Marketing chief exits Supervalu

Supervalu Inc. said Tuesday that chief marketing officer Julie Dexter Berg has left the struggling company after less than two years on the job.

Dexter Berg is the second high-ranking executive appointed by Supervalu Chief Executive Craig Herkert to leave abruptly since January 2011. A year ago, the company's head of merchandising departed after about a year, and his job was assumed by another executive.. . . more

J.C. Penney gets rid of hundreds of sales

J.C. Penney is permanently marking down all of its merchandise by at least 40 percent so shoppers will no longer have to wait for a sale to get the lowest prices in its stores.

Penney said Wednesday that it is getting rid of the hundreds of sales it offers each year in favor of a simpler approach to pricing. On Feb. 1, the retailer is rolling out a three-tiered strategy that offers "Every Day" low pricing daily, "Monthly Value" discounts on select merchandise each month and clearance deals called "Best Price" during the first and the third Friday of each month when many shoppers get paid.. . .more

Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/01/25/2365752/jc-penney-gets-rid-of-hundreds.html#storylink=cpy. . . more

Bon-Ton names new president and CEO


The Bon-Ton's push to update the chain's image continued this morning with the hiring of 43-year-old Brendan L. Hoffman as president and CEO, effective Feb. 7, according to a company release.

Hoffman comes to the Bon-Ton from Lord & Taylor, where he's served as president and CEO since October 2008. Prior to this, he spent six years as president and CEO of Neiman Marcus Direct, a subsidiary of The Neiman Marcus Group.. . . more

b.good Burger Chain Readies First Franchising Program for Expansion

The opportunity couldn't be "hotter" for better burger chains, if 2011 is any indication. This past year continued to see rapid growth, particularly for fast casual better burger chains. And data for 2010 shows the fast casual chains in this segment posted sales increases of more than 16 percent and unit growth of nearly 17 percent. b.good is one such chain, spanning eight units across metro-Boston.

The chain will be launching its first franchising program in February.. . . more

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Talbots puts itself on the block

Women’s apparel chain Talbots Inc has started an auction to sell itself, two people familiar with the matter said and its shares rose as much as 22 percent.

Talbots’ advisor Perella Weinberg has started actively soliciting bids for the company as part of its exploration of strategic alternatives after Talbots turned down a $212 million buyout proposal from Sycamore Partners in December, the sources said.. . . more

JCPenney cutting jobs

Former Apple exec Ron Johnson — who on Wednesday is slated to unveil a top-secret strategy for a dramatic overhaul of the aging department store — has begun the new year by slashing thousands of jobs nationwide, The Post has learned.

As 52-year-old Johnson replaces Penney’s decades-old use of traditional sales and clearance events with a new “everyday pricing” strategy, sources said he’s firing workers who had long been responsible for re-tagging merchandise and plastering stores with temporary signs and displays.. . . more

Another blow to Downtown Crossing

Music and video chain f.y.e. (for your entertainment) shuttered its Downtown Crossing store yesterday, marking another retail loss for the beleaguered shopping district. . . . more

Starbucks to start selling beer, wine, cheese at cafes

After experimenting with alcohol sales at six West Coast stores, the world’s largest coffee-shop chain said yesterday that it will sell beer and wine in as many as 25 locations by the end of the year. Starbucks, which has 10,700 U.S. cafes, will also sell fruit-and-cheese plates and focaccia with olive oil.

The new stores, which will be located in Chicago, Atlanta and Southern California, will be larger and seat more patrons than regular Starbucks cafes, . . . more

Sears: The Beginning of the End?

Possibly - but predicting “the end” for Sears Holdings may still be a bit premature, even though we’ve been harping on Sears as a bumbling, stumbling retailer for a number of years now. During the past three decades or so, between futile efforts to create new store concepts (remember “the Softer Side”?) and the inexplicable hiring of a new CEO without one iota of retail experience, Sears has somehow managed to weather the storm. But it appears the “too big to fail” persona that Sears evokes may be facing some resistance at the moment.. . . more

Hudson’s Bay completes acquisition of Lord & Taylor

Hudson’s Bay Co. has completed the acquisition of Lord & Taylor, according to a report by Women’s Wear Daily.

The report said that HBC owner Richard Baker has dissolved the umbrella company that had until now held the two chains, and that HBC would now operate The Bay and Lord & Taylor. The new entity will be run by Bay CEO Bonnie Brooks, according to the report.. . . more

Family Dollar on track for 450 to 500 stores this year

Family Dollar plans to continue aggressive growth in the current fiscal year, with 450 to 500 new stores on tap.

Family Dollar will continue its store renovation program, making over another 1,000 locations.. . . more

Monday, January 23, 2012

Costco Wholesale drives deeper into D.C. area


Discount retailer Costco Wholesale is making greater inroads into the Washington area with plans for a new store on a 12-acre tract in Alexandria, one of three locations in the works in the region.
 
Costco stands to gain grocery market share, albeit marginal, at a time when traditional players, like Food Lion and Superfresh, struggle to compete in a changing industry. Drug stores and big-box chains are muscling in on supermarkets with a wider selection of groceries. Value-oriented merchants, such as Costco, still hold a profitable stake in the industry and are finding room for growth.. . . more

Owings Mills development breeds competition, concern

Traffic, retail demand among concerns raised by competing developers

Plans for Owings Mills include a $65 million revamping of the mall; a huge, mixed-use development called Metro Centre near the end of Baltimore's subway line; and Foundry Row, an upscale retail complex anchored by a Wegmans grocery store at the Solo Cup manufacturing site off Reisterstown Road.

The developers of the mall and the long-planned Metro Centre are concerned that the project featuring Wegmans would clog Reisterstown Road and create a glut of retail space. The Foundry Row builders say there's room for healthy competition.. . . more

Showdown Over 'Showrooming'

In one of the starkest signs yet that chain stores fear a new twist in shopping, Target is asking suppliers for help in thwarting "showrooming"—that is, when shoppers come into a store to see a product in person, only to buy it from a rival online, frequently at a lower price.

Last week, in an urgent letter to vendors, the Minneapolis-based chain suggested that suppliers create special products that would set it apart from competitors and shield it from the price comparisons that have become so easy for shoppers to perform on their computers and smartphones.. . . more

Restaurant comps set records in December

The restaurant industry's monthly same-store sales growth rate rose at an all-time-high in December, fueled by sharp gains in guest traffic and cooperative weather, according to the latest NRN-MillerPulse survey.

Industrywide same-store sales rose 5.4 percent in December, compared with a 2.9-percent increase the month prior, which is the largest increase in the survey’s history. The month capped off a relatively strong 2011 that saw same-store sales up 2.6 percent overall, leaving operators and analysts pleasantly surprised.. . . more

The rising value of the dollar store

No longer dusty, out-of-the-way haunts, dollar stores have grown into a $56 billion industry, a 43 percent increase since 1998, according to the industry research firm IBISWorld.

One of the few niches of retail expanding in a dim economy, the dollar store industry's four top players -- three of which are Fortune 500 companies -- are no longer snubbed by developers, landlords, investors and consumers because of their perceived working-class customer. Publicly traded Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and 99¢ Only Stores are expanding rapidly -- so much so, a recent report by Colliers International found, that there are more dollar stores nationwide than drugstores, a profound conclusion given the nation's aging population.. . . more

Seabrook plaza expansion to begin this spring

By summer, patrons of Seabrook's South Gate Plaza on Route 1 will find a larger shopping center with six or more new stores anchored by an expanded Market Basket that features a small cafe.

The Planning Board recently OK'd the final tweaking of already approved plans submitted by plaza owner Demoulas Super Markets, Chairman Donald Hawkins said.. . . more

Friday, January 20, 2012

Bennigan's Brand Revival in 2011 Launches Comeback

In 2011, the 78-unit company signed franchise agreements with 8 new franchisees to develop over 30 new restaurants, and has plans to open 12 new locations domestically and internationally in 2012. Projected openings in 2012 include restaurants in Arkansas, Texas, Maryland, Washington DC, New Jersey and Florida, as well as internationally in Cyprus, South Korea, Mexico, El Salvador and Dubai. Bennigan's currently has 33 domestic locations and 45 international. . . more

Fantastic Sams Hair Salons acquired

Fantastic Sams Hair Salons said Wednesday that it has been acquired by salon owner Dessange International. . . more

Buffets Inc. files for Ch. 11 bankruptcy

Buffets Inc. said Wednesday it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, closed 81 restaurants and will recapitalize in an agreement with lenders that will convert debt into a controlling equity stake. The Eagan, Minn.-based company is parent to the Old Country Buffet, HomeTown Buffet and Ryan’s steak-buffet brands. . . more

Old Navy Brand President Resigns

Gap Inc. says the president of its Old Navy brand has resigned, but the company also has secured a former merchandising employee to serve as a consultant to its struggling namesake brand.

The retailer announced Thursday that Tom Wyatt will leave Old Navy Feb. 3. The company named two senior executives to assume his duties while the company searches for a permanent replacement.

Wyatt’s departure is another blow to Gap as it struggles to turn around falling sales trends.. . . more

Wal-Mart says Sam's Club CEO leaving the company

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. says Sam's Club President and CEO Brian Cornell is leaving the company so he can return to the Northeast for family reasons.

The 52-year-old Cornell will be succeeded by 49-year-old Rosalind Brewer, who was serving as president of the retailer's eastern U.S. division. Brewer, the first woman to lead one of Wal-Mart's three business units, will report to CEO Mike Duke. The moves are effective Feb. 1. ...more

Read more here: http://www.bnd.com/2012/01/20/2024306/wal-mart-says-sams-club-ceo-leaving.html#storylink=cp. . . more

Gap’s Athleta Plans 2012 Store Openings in Chicago, Boston

Gap Inc.’s Athleta athletic apparel line for women plans to open stores in Chicago, Boston, Houston and Denver in 2012, Scott Key, senior vice president and general manager, said today in a telephone interview.

Key reiterated the San Francisco-based company’s plan to open more than 50 Athleta stores by the end of 2013. . . more

Planet Fitness opens its 500th gym

Planet Fitness, the national gym partner for NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” opened its 500th location in Morton Grove, Ill., on Wednesday as the franchise company continues its expansion, which includes the goal to add more than 100 new facilities in 2012.

In terms of number of units, Planet Fitness is on pace to this year become the number one health club company in the United States, according to company officials. It already has the largest overall membership at almost 3.5 million members in the United States and Puerto Rico. Planet Fitness, headquartered in Newington, NH, is known for its membership prices as low as $10 a month and “Judgement Free Zone” atmosphere.. . . more

Menino questions report on school buying Filene's

Mayor Thomas M. Menino has questioned a published report today that said Suffolk University is considering the Filene’s site in Downtown Crossing as a place to expand their campus.

“Where did that come from?” Menino told the Boston Business Journal. “That’s the first time I’m hearing that one.”. . . more