Report: Macy’s in legal battle over Amazon sign

CSA

Macy's Inc. doesn't want an Amazon billboard on top of its most famous store. . . . more

Dollar Tree to sell more products above $1

CSA
Dollar Tree continues its expansion into prices above the one that its name is based on. . . more

The 10 busiest shopping days for holiday 2021 will be…

CSA

For the first time since 2010, Christmas will fall on a Saturday this year — an occurrence that will impact holiday shopping patterns. . . . more

Lowe’s thanks first responders with special offer

Fox Business
Lowe’s will recognize firefighters, emergency medical technicians, police officers, nurses and doctors nationwide in store and on Lowes.com with a 10% discount available from Oct. 22 to 24. . . . more

Paint is the latest product facing supply shortages and higher prices

CNN Business
As the global supply chain crisis continues to roil the global economy, the list of impacted industries is growing by the day. The latest: paint. . . more

COVID-19 surge, port delays threaten retailers' holiday plans

Retail Dive
If the ports are any indication of what is to come at the end of this year, trouble lies ahead for retailers this upcoming holiday season. . . more

Thai Concept Rooster & Rice Launches New Franchise Model

QSR
Rooster & Rice, the 10-location Thai restaurant chain that exploded onto the Bay Area food scene in 2015, has announced the launch of its new franchise model and plans for national expansion. . . more

Papa John's Strikes Largest U.S. Deal in Company History

QSR
After constructing the requisite infrastructure for sustainable unit growth, Papa John's CEO Rob Lynch told analysts in May that franchisees have "bought into our plans." . . more

Gradual Recovery Continues for Restaurant Industry

CStore Decisions
Despite bad weather and the delta variant spread, consumer online and physical restaurant visits in August continued to recover from last year’s steep declines, according to market analyst The NPD Group. . . . more

HomeGoods launches first-ever e-commerce site

CSA

A longtime e-commerce holdout is entering the world of digital retail. . . . more

Walmart aims to help customers simply their healthcare with single, unified system

CSA

Walmart continues to expand its healthcare partnerships. . . . more

Dick’s Sporting Goods CEO Lauren Hobart on Reinventing Outdoor Retail and Female Leadership in a Male-Dominated Industry

Footwear News

Lauren Hobart is leading a ship that is heading in the right direction. . . . more

Shoppers give thumbs-down to grocery stores’ COVID-19 efforts

Supermarket News

Despite waning shopper concern about COVID-19, U.S. consumer confidence in grocery stores’ handling of the pandemic has plunged over the past six months, according to the latest dunnhumby Consumer Pulse Survey. . . . more

The Weekly Closeout: Nordstrom debuts Home concept in New York, retail's big IPO wave

Retail Dive
It's been another week with far more retail news than there is time in the day. Below, we break down some things you may have missed during the week and what we're still thinking about. . . . more

Dollar General expanding to its 47th state

CSA

Dollar General is increasing its presence in the Pacific Northwest. . . . more

Toymakers worry congestion will lead to holiday inventory troubles

Retail Dive
Rising port congestion has toymakers worried their products won't make it onto shelves by the holiday season, Ed Desmond, vice president of The Toy Association said during a virtual press conference with the Port of Los Angeles. . . . more

7-Eleven Offering Deals on National Coffee Day

CStore Decisions
To celebrate National Coffee Day, 7Rewards loyalty members can get one free, any-size hot coffee with the purchase of a fresh baked good at participating 7-Eleven stores nationwide on Sept. 29. . . . more

Amazon Prime members will soon pay fee for all Whole Foods deliveries

CSA

Free online deliveries from Whole Foods are coming to an end for members of the Amazon Prime paid loyalty program. . . . more

CSA Exclusive: Jonn exec discusses new store format, omnichannel

CSA

Joann is revamping its stores and enhancing its mobile and online customer experience. . . . more

Walmart, Meijer, Hy-Vee start COVID-19 booster shots

Supermarket News

Walmart, Meijer and Hy-Vee have begun offering COVID-19 booster shots, after the Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for a booster dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine. . . . more

Rite Aid expands same-day delivery with Uber Eats

CSA

Rite Aid customers have a new option for same-day delivery of online orders. . . . more

Costco quarterly sales top $60 billion mark for first time; charters ocean vessels

CSA

Costco Wholesale Corp. ended a strong year on an even stronger note, topping the $60 billion mark in quarterly net sales for the first time in its history. In another first, its annual profit hit $5 billion, growing at its fastest rate in more than 20 years. . . . more

Costco Limiting How Much Toilet Paper, Paper Towels And Cleaning Supplies You Can Buy Again

CBS Boston
Costco is once again placing limits on purchases of toilet paper, paper towels and cleaning supplies. . . . more

Dave & Buster's CEO to retire

Restaurant Dive

Brian Jenkins is retiring as CEO and member of the board of directors at Dave & Buster's, effective Sept. 30, the company said on Tuesday. He will become a senior advisor to the CEO until Nov. 30 to help with the transition. . . . more

Dick’s Sporting Goods Will Soon be the Largest National Retailer of WNBA Merchandise

Footwear News

Dick’s Sporting Goods is now an official marketing partner of the WNBA. . . . more

ShopRite readies pilot of robotic grocery delivery carts

Supermarket News
A pair of ShopRite stores in Pennsylvania plan to test delivery robots from automated logistics specialist Tortoise for online grocery service. . . . more

Chicken Salad Chick sees 500 stores by end of 2025; targets Midwest for growth

CSA

Chicken Salad Chick is setting its sights on the Midwest as it continues its rapid expansion. . . . more

Lovesac brings stores to customers with mobile showrooms

CSA

A modular furniture retailer is rolling out a personalized and curated shopping experience directly to customers' homes. . . . more

Planet Fitness to bulk up in larger Augusta space

Mainebiz
Pumped to do more business in Augusta, Planet Fitness will move to a larger space in December after signing a lease for 22,730 square feet inside the Capitol Shopping Center. . . . more

Apple unveils subscription offering — with flex payment option

CSA

Apple is adopting the subscription model for some of its most popular devices and entering the “buy now pay later” (BNPL) space. . . . more

Crumbl Cookies Rises from Emerging Brand to Category Leader

QSR Magazine
Crumbl Cookies has 254 stores open in more than 30 states. Without any context, the number already sounds substantial. But it's happened in just four years. . . . more

Newington Park Shopping Center sold for $13.3 million. The new owner plans to 'transform' it.

Seacoast Online
Real estate development and investment company Torrington Properties announced Friday it has acquired the Newington Park Shopping Center for $13.3 million and touted plans to "transform" the site. . . . more

A sweet proposition: DQ plans bigger store in Wells, Maine, with longer ice cream season

Seacoast Online
John Dube has a vision of transforming his Dairy Queen from a small, walk-in store at the Wells Corner Shopping Center to a larger destination farther south on Route 1, a restaurant complete with a drive-through window and plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. . . . more

Aldi honored for ongoing green leadership open

CSA

Aldi is out front when it comes to energy efficiency and reducing harmful refrigerant emissions. . . . more

MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes Targets Indianapolis With Plan To Add 20 Locations in 10 Years

1851 Franchise
MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, a fast-casual, “better burger” chain, is ready to satisfy the taste buds of burger enthusiasts in Indianapolis. . . . more

SEARS Officially Closing Its Last Department Store in Company’s Home State

Outsider
SEARS is officially closing its last store where it all began, the company’s home state of Illinois. . . . more

Kroger, Instacart launch superfast delivery services as online grocery demand spikes

Fox Business
Kroger is expanding its delivery reach with help from Instacart. . . more

Dunkin's first digital-only store doesn't reduce labor

Restaurant Dive

Dunkin' on Tuesday celebrated the grand opening of its first digital-only restaurant in Boston after opening the location to the public on Aug. 18, the company told Restaurant Dive in an email. . . . more

Chick-fil-A to launch 3 virtual concepts in Nashville

Restaurant Dive
Chick-fil-A will debut its Little Blue Menu delivery kitchen concept at a pilot location in Nashville this fall, and an Atlanta location will open in 2022, according to a company blog post. . . more

Holiday sales could spike 9% in 2021: Deloitte

Retail Dive
Retail sales during the holiday season could rise 7% to 9%, according to the latest projections from Deloitte. . . more

Tropical Smoothie Cafe in store milestone

CSA
Tropical Smoothie Cafe is moving closer to its goal. . . more

Bed Bath & Beyond to hold ‘Open House’ events; debut all-star advisory panel

CSA

Bed Bath & Beyond wants customers to see its transformation up close. . . . more

Burlington Mall Is Getting Revamped

Patch
The Burlington Mall is mixing it up, expanding its store selection, and adding some extra outdoor hangout space. . . . more

Sam’s Club to raise minimum wage

CSA

Sam’s Club is following the lead of other retailers and raising its minimum wage as companies find themselves in hot competition to attract workers amid a tight labor market. . . . more

Rite Aid to move to new ‘remote-first’ headquarters — in Philadelphia

CSA

Rite Aid is moving its corporate headquarters from its longtime location in Camp Hill, Pa., to a new “enterprise headquarters” in Philadelphia’s Navy Yard district. . . . more

Kohl’s vet takes top tech post at Men’s Wearhouse parent company

CSA

A 16-year Kohl’s veteran has joined the leadership team at Tailored Brands. . . . more

Dunkin’ Opens First ‘Digital-Only’ Restaurant In Boston

CBS Boston
 A new kind of Dunkin’ has just opened in Boston. The Canton-based chain is unveiling its first-ever “digital-only” restaurant. . . . more

Taco Bell tests mobile subscription plan

CSA

If you have a smartphone and love eating tacos, Taco Bell is piloting a new loyalty offering just for you. . . . more

Torrid, brushing aside its competition, plans 25 new stores each year

Retail Dive
With healthy sales, margin and profit gains, Torrid came out swinging Wednesday with its first quarterly report as a public company. Second quarter net sales rose 34% year over year and 29% from 2019 to $332.9 million, as comps rose 30% from last year and 26% from 2019. . . . more

Party City in hiring blitz for Halloween

CSA

Party City is looking to hire as it ramps up for its most important selling season — Halloween. . . . more

Despite COVID-19 concerns, holiday spending looks solid

CSA

A new survey from Berkeley Research Group (BRG) reveals most consumers will spend the same or more on the holidays this year as in 2020. . . . more

David’s Bridal to host first-ever warehouse sale; says brides are happier

CSA

The nation's largest bridal retailer is holding what it said will be its biggest sale ever, and also reporting on bridal customer attitudes as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. . . . more

Dick’s Sporting Goods to hire the most seasonal workers in its history

CSA

Dick’s Sporting Goods is going on a holiday hiring spree. . . . more

A milestone and more for Floor & Decor

HBS Dealer

Floor & Decor, the rapidly growing home improvement specialty retailer has opened its 150th location. . . . more

Wegmans will open three new stores in 2022

Plain Vanilla Shell
Wegmans Food Markets has announced it will open three more stores next year in the nation's Mid-Atlantic region: in Alexandria, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; and Delaware, just outside Wilmington. . . . more

Back-to-School Footwear Sales Bolstered by Child Tax Credit, Improving Wages

Footwear News

The back-to-school season is in full swing. And as kids and young adults head back to the classroom, certain trends are starting to emerge in footwear sales numbers. . . . more

Petco expands its subscription box service

Retail Dive

To address various pet owners' needs, and build on the growth it experienced this past year, Petco on Wednesday expanded its PupBox subscription offerings. . . . more

Banana Republic goes back to its roots with new brand identity

Retail Dive
After years of underperformance at Gap, Banana Republic announced on Tuesday that it is revamping its brand identity to focus on "democratic, approachable and inclusive luxury." . . . more

Amazon bringing cashierless tech to Whole Foods Market

CSA

Amazon continues to expand its “Just Walk Out” autonomous checkout technology, this time to its Whole Foods Market division. . . . more

Athleta in big expansion of wholesale partnership with REI

CSA

Athleta goods will soon be available in nearly all REI Co-op stores. . . . more

Lululemon Q2 sales, earnings top expectations; hikes outlook

CSA

Lululemon Athletica Inc. maintained its momentum in the second quarter. . . . more

Dick’s Sporting Goods to unveil outdoor-focused store concept in Pittsburgh

CSA

Dick’s Sporting Goods is set to unwrap its long-awaited new store format that is focused on outdoor activities and land conservation. . . . more

Francesca's tests new concepts, including tween stores

Retail Dive

Francesca's has emerged from bankruptcy with new ideas about how to thrive in a tough apparel market further complicated by the pandemic. The chain joins Victoria's Secret and others in testing fresh store concepts, which may launch in time for the holidays, CEO Andrew Clarke said in an interview. . . . more

What do Macy's and the Toys R Us brand have to offer each other?

Retail Dive

Toys R Us is back! … Again. The perennial comeback of the toy retail brand is becoming a regular feature of life following the defunct toy store chain's liquidation in 2018. . . . more

Psycho Bunny accelerating store expansion

CSA

Psycho Bunny is expanding nationwide to properties operated by Simon. . . . more

Walmart’s new pay hike brings average hourly wage to $16.40

CSA

Walmart announced its third pay increase of the year for hourly employees. . . . more

Summer Recap: Five major retail deals

CSA

It was a busy spring and summer for dealmakers in the retail industry. Here’s a look at five of the biggest deals. . . . more

China’s Miniso makes East Coast debut; doubles down on U.S. expansion

CSA

A China-based, global value retailer is bullish on U.S. store expansion. . . . more

This Fast-Growing Upscale Pizza Chain Plans to Open 100 New Locations

Yahoo! Life

For decades, New York and Chicago have been considered the pizza meccas of America. Now, California may be gaining steam as another strong contender. . . . more

Wendy's is upgrading its french fries

CNN Business
Few things in life are worse than a soggy french fry. Wendy's says it has a solution. . . . more

Mall jeweler Signet's sales soar as millennials rush to get hitched

CNN Business
Call it love in the time of Covid. Those TV commercials for Jared and Kay — as in "every kiss begins with ..." — may be cheesy, but they are working. . . . more

Big Y Foods begins rollout of mobile checkout

Supermarket News

Big Y Foods has launched mobile checkout in about a quarter of its stores with digital shopping specialist FutureProof Retail (FPR). . . . more

Chipotle gamifies loyalty program with extra perks

Restaurant Dive
Chipotle launched a rewards program feature Wednesday called Extras, which allows members to access extra points and receive free Chipotle items faster. As part of the rollout, Chipotle Rewards members can get double points on a purchase through Sept. 3. . . . more

Burlington's sourcing costs are up 78% over 2 years due to pandemic supply chain disruptions

Retail Dive

Burlington Stores' product sourcing costs rose by 78% in the past two years, a shift driven almost entirely by higher supply chain costs during the pandemic, Chief Financial Officer John Crimmins said on the company's Q2 earnings call. . . . more

Chewy sales leap 27% as it takes market share

Retail Dive
Online pet specialist Chewy's second-quarter sales rose 26.8% year over year to nearly $2.2 billion. . . . more

Walgreens, Mastercard partner on new bank account and debit card

CSA

Walgreens continues building on its financial services offerings. . . . more

Target CIO Mike McNamara set to retire

Supermarket News

Target Corp. Chief Information Officer Mike McNamara is slated to retire in 2022. . . . more

Sally Beauty names new CEO

CSA

Sally Beauty on Wednesday announced that Denise Paulonis will be CEO effective Oct. 1, according to a company press release. . . . more

Wegmans Food Markets tops People’s ‘100 Companies That Care’ list — here’s why

CSA

A family-owned supermarket chain landed the No. 1 spot on a ranking of employers that have gone above and beyond to create positive workplaces for their staff and the community at large. . . . more