Bojangles Signs Deals to Open 46 Stores

QSR
Bojangles, one of the nation’s leading franchises famous for its chicken, biscuits and tea, announced today that it achieved significant growth in the first quarter of 2022, signing agreements to add 46 new units to its growing pipeline. . . . more

Beef-A-Roo says it’s ready to franchise nationwide

MyStateLine.com
Rockford’s Beef-A-Roo restaurant chain says it’s ready to take its business model nationwide. . . . more

Dick’s Sporting Goods partners with Out&Back for resale pilot

CSA

Dick’s Sporting Goods is diving into resale. . . . more

Publix debuts 15-minute delivery

CSA

Publix Super Markets Inc. is partnering with a well-known hosted delivery platform to fulfill online orders in 15 minutes in a major market. . . . more

Victoria’s Secret takes its beauty business to Amazon

CSA

Victoria’s Secret & Co. has entered into its first major wholesale deal with another retailer. . . . more

Aldi to eliminate all plastic bags from stores

CSA

Aldi is expanding its elimination of plastic bags across all its stores. . . . more

Gordon Ramsay to open burger restaurant in Boston, will include fries, scratch-made sauces and hand-spun milkshakes

MassLive

Gordon Ramsay is opening his second Boston restaurant, this time focused on burgers. . . . more

Primark in full recovery mode, plans major US expansion

Fashion Network

It also unveiled plans to move into new European markets, to expand further in some of its key European growth markets and to grow its US stores. . . . more

Walmart pumps up fuel discount for Walmart+ members

Supermarket News
With gas prices now averaging over $4 per gallon, Walmart is offering members of its Walmart+ customer benefits program a bigger discount at the pump at more fuel stations. . . more

Report: 41% of independent restaurants operate virtual brands

Restaurant Dive
Forty-one percent of independent restaurants currently operate virtual brands to leverage persistent consumer delivery demand, according to a report commissioned by Grubhub and executed by Technomic, which surveyed 350 independent operators from Jan. 20-28, 2022. . . . more

Old Navy, new problem

Retail Dive
Gap Inc. used to be able to count on Old Navy. . . more

Wegmans entering new market

CSA

Wegmans Food Markets is expanding its New York footprint by moving into a new region. . . . more

Freddy’s signs 64 new restaurant commitments

CSA

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers continues on the fast track for expansion. . . . more

Chipotle delivers strong Q1; committed to store growth

CSA

Chipotle Mexican Grill reported first-quarter earnings and sales that topped Street estimates despite challenges from inflation and the Omicron variant. . . . more

Burger King offers free fries every week to loyalty members

Retail Dive
Burger King is offering a free order of fries every week to members of its Royal Perks loyalty program between now and Dec. 31, the chain announced on Monday. . . . more

First Look: Check out Facebook’s first physical store

CSA

The company formerly known as Facebook wants to engage with customers about its metaverse hardware in the physical world. . . . more

First Look: Haagen-Dazs’s new shop design

CSA

A bold new color scheme brightens up Haagen-Dazs’s new shop design, something one might naturally expect from an artist named Jade Purple Brown. . . . more

Simon Property, Brookfield reportedly interested in bidding for Kohl’s

CSA

Add two high-profile players to the lineup of parties reportedly interested in Kohl’s Co. . . . more

3 pillars driving the future of store experience

Retail Dive
Everybody loves to talk about the acceleration of digital, but physical spaces still play a central role in the customer experience — especially when it comes to driving loyalty. . . . more

Rite Aid says takeover offer ‘not credible’

CSA

Rite Aid Corp. has closed the door on a takeover bid. . . . more

Tractor Supply targets 75 to 80 new stores in 2022 as Q1 starts strong

CSA
Tractor Supply reported first-quarter earnings and sales that topped analysts estimates. . . more

Lululemon aims to double revenue by 2026; launching two-tier monthly memberships

CSA
Lululemon Athletica is thinking big as it looks to build on the momentum it gained throughout the pandemic. . . more

Mother’s Day spending poised for another record year

CSA

For the second consecutive year, Mother’s Day spending is expected to reach a new high. . . . more

CEO out at Old Navy as Gap Inc. cuts sales guidance

CSA

Gap Inc. has made a big change at the top of one of its brands. . . . more

‘Most interesting store’ in the world opening more locations

CSA

A retail store concept designed to showcase emerging brands is expanding its footprint. . . . more

Graduation events set for comeback, says Party City

CSA

Seventy percent of consumers are planning to participate in or attend in-person graduation ceremonies. . . . more

Chick-fil-A Hopes To Open 7 New York Stores, 1 in Hudson Valley

Hudson Valley Post
The Hudson Valley isn't the only part of New York that's set to get a brand-new Chick-fil-A. . . . more

Potbelly is Poised to Grow to 2,000 Locations

QSR
Potbelly Chief Development Officer Larry Strain sees a future where Potbelly has 2,000 shops in the coming years, with 85 percent of them being franchised locations. . . . more

Wegmans to eliminate plastic shopping bags chainwide this year

Supermarket News

Wegmans Food Markets plans to phase out single-use plastic bags companywide by the end of 2022. . . . more

Panera expands beverage subscription to include all self-serve drinks

Restaurant Dive
Panera is expanding its coffee subscription program to offer 26 self-service drinks, including iced coffee, lemonade and soft drinks, the company wrote in an email to Restaurant Dive. . . . more

Popeyes to open 200-plus units in US and Canada in 2022

Restaurant Dive
Popeyes plans to open over 200 new restaurants in the U.S. and Canada this year, and expects to surpass last year's expansion total of 208 restaurants, the company said in an email to Restaurant Dive. . . . more

Wawa plans to double store footprint

CSA

Wawa Inc. is thinking big. . . . more

Foot Locker’s Champs Sports unveils new store concept

CSA

Champs Sports is betting on experiences to help drive sales. . . . more

Apple retail union organizers want workers to be paid at least $30 per hour

CNBC Business

Workers who hope to organize a union at Apple’s Grand Central Terminal store want workers to be paid a minimum of $30 per hour, according to a website for the group, Fruit Stand Workers United, that was updated on Monday. . . . more

Furniture franchise group owner reportedly in the bidding for Kohls

Furniture Today
There’s a new bidder in the mix for Kohl’s operations, according to an exclusive report from Reuters. . . . more

Raymour & Flanigan expanding into central Pennsylvania

Furniture Today
Top 100 retailer Raymour & Flanigan is expanding its reach into central Pennsylvania soon with three stores. . . . more

At 70, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue looks ahead to economic recovery and expansion plans

Hawaii News Now
L&L Hawaiian Barbecue turns 70 this year. . . . more

Costco ending special COVID shopping hours

Costco
After two years, Costco has decided to end its special shopping hours that had been reserved exclusively for seniors, health care workers and first responders throughout the pandemic. . . . more

Uniqlo to ramp up store expansion in North America

CSA

Japan’s Fast Retailing Co. is looking to expand its footprint more aggressively in North America. . . . more

Grocery prices steadily increase across channels

CSA

A new study reveals exactly how much the cost of grocery items rose in March 2022. . . . more

Benjamin Moore ranked as best paint retailer

CSA

Benjamin Moore took top honors in two categories in the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Paint Satisfaction Study. . . . more

Capriotti's, Wing Zone Sign Deals for 42 Shops in Q1

QSR
Despite the unforeseen challenges that the pandemic brought on the restaurant industry, Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop (Capriotti’s) and Wing Zone have fired up development efforts since the beginning of 2020, breaking the brands into 15 new states over the past two years. . . . more

Denny's CEO to retire amid growing exodus of restaurant chiefs

Restautant Dive

Denny's CEO John Miller plans to retire later this year, the casual dining chain shared in an SEC 8-K filing on Friday. . . . more

Baskin-Robbins scoops up brand refresh

Restautant Dive
Baskin-Robbins announced Monday it is introducing a new logo, branding and packaging in its first major relaunch for the U.S. and Canada in nearly two decades, according to details emailed to Marketing Dive. . . more

Grocery Outlet goes chainwide with Instacart delivery

Supermarket News
Since making its e-commerce debut with Instacart last fall, Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. has rolled out the online grocery delivery service to almost all of its stores. . . more

Placer.ai: Retail winners of Q1 include Home Depot, Starbucks, Dollar General

CSA

Rising gas prices, Omicron and ongoing supply chain and labor challenges made for tough going for some — but not all — retailers in the first quarter of 2022. . . . more

Rite Aid to close 145 stores; pharmacy sales fuel strong Q4 sales

CSA

Rite Aid reported mixed fourth-quarter results as charges widened its loss, but revenue topped expectations, driven by strong prescription growth. . . . more

Spirit Halloween gets the star treatment with its own movie

CSA

An iconic seasonal retail store is the setting for a new movie. . . . more

Dual grocery-anchored retail center in New Hampshire sells for $104 million

Boston Real Estate Times
JLL Capital Markets announced that it has closed the $104 million sale of The Crossings, a 509,749-square-foot, dominant, regional retail center anchored by Trader Joe’s and Aldi in the coastal community of Newington, New Hampshire. . . . more

With the New Kadrmas Eye Care Lease, Wareham Marketplace is Now Fully Leased

Boston Real Estate Time
KeyPoint Partners negotiated a lease with Kadrmas Eye Care New England at Wareham Marketplace, Wareham, Massachusetts. . . . more

Target is selling used clothing in partnership with ThredUp

Retail Dive

Target is testing a secondhand apparel marketplace, leveraging ThredUp's "resale as a service" platform, the retailer said by email. . . . more

Rite Aid guidance could signal its ability to survive: analyst

Retail Dive

Investors will be closely following Rite Aid's financial guidance for the year, expected on Thursday with the company's fourth quarter and annual earnings release. . . . more

Big Y Foods to debut downtown format

CSA
Big Y Foods is going urban. . . more

FAT Brands’ Quick-Service Division Signing Development Agreements Totaling Over 50 New Stores

Franchinsing.com
FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands Inc., parent company of Round Table Pizza, Great American Cookies, Marble Slab Creamery, and 14 other restaurant concepts, announces its Quick-Service Division has signed 20 new development deals following the acquisition of Global Franchise Group in June 2021. . . . more

99 Restaurant & Pub in Saugus Is Closing

Boston Restaurant Talk
A local chain of family-friendly restaurants is closing one of its locations north of Boston. . . . more

Taconic Capital Advisors and Eastern Real Estate partner to acquire 617,000 s/f University Mall

NEREJ
Taconic Capital Advisors and Eastern Real Estate have partnered to acquire University Mall. . . . more

Lululemon rolling out trade-in, resale nationwide

CSA

Lululemon Athletica is taking its pilot trade-in and resale program nationwide as part of its sustainability commitment and as the nation grapples with rising prices. . . . more

Michigan Mall morphs into a business center with retail

CSA

What once was Michigan’s Mall of Monroe, between Detroit and Toledo, was devoid of traffic for years after the departure of anchors like Target and J.C. Penney’s. Now it has found new life as a variegated business center. . . . more

Brookfield hands Chicago’s Water Tower Place back to its lender

CSA

Unable to fill a 300,000-sq.-ft. space left vacant by Macy’s, Brookfield Properties has given up its attempt to save Water Tower Place, the first indoor mall built in Chicago. . . . more

Convenience store sales at pre-pandemic levels; turnover highest since 2012

CSA

In-store convenience-stores sales reach a record high in 2021, although headwinds in labor and turnover continue. . . . more

AMC Increases Footprint In Connecticut, NY & Maryland With Acquisition Of Seven Bow Tie Cinemas

Yahoo! News
The worlds largest exhibitor AMC Theatres has made a deal with Bow Tie Cinemas to snap up and operate seven of Bow Tie’s locations in Connecticut, upstate New York and Annapolis, MD. . . . more

Albertsons finishes year strong as consumers return to stores; review ongoing

CSA

Albertsons Cos. turned in a strong fourth-quarter performance even as its digital growth slowed amid a rebound in store traffic. . . . more

Applebee's wants to be more like McDonald's than Olive Garden

CNN Business
Applebee's used to pitch itself as a place for customers to come, sit, and stay a while. Then the pandemic happened, and Applebee's had to pivot. . . . more

Kmart closing NJ location, only 3 stores left in US

Fox Business
Kmart is shedding another one of its brick-and-mortar department stores, leaving only a handful left in the country. . . . more

IHOP opens International Bank of Pancakes with sunny influencer push

Restaurant Dive
IHOP is promoting the rollout of its first loyalty program with a campaign featuring influencers known for bringing a sense of joy to their professions, per a news release. . . . more

Lowe's CFO to exit

Retail Dive
Lowe's Chief Financial Officer Dave Denton will leave the home improvement retailer to become Pfizer's CFO, effective May 2. . . . more

Scotch & Soda accelerates store growth

CSA

Scotch & Soda growing its store network — in the U.S. and abroad. . . . more

Walgreens expands partnership with Alto US to reduce crime

CSA

Walgreens is focusing on crime prevention as it looks to reduce theft in its stores. . . . more

The seven retailers on “100 Best Companies to Work For” list are …

CSA
A family-owned grocer cracked the top five on Fortune’s 25th annual “100 Best Companies to Work For” list. . . . more

Duck Donuts Keeps Growth Momentum Going Into 2022

QSR
Duck Donuts announced the signing of six franchise agreements for nine shops in the first quarter of 2022, including a new state, Colorado. . . . more

Fazoli’s Sets the Stage to Break More Records

QSR
In a time when so many other restaurants have struggled, Fazoli’s has experienced record-setting growth in recent years. . . . more

How COVID Forever Changed the Future of Fast-Food Design

QSR
Matthew Walls has a confession. For years, CKE Restaurants, the parent company of the well-known Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s quick-service brands, built the restaurants it wanted to build. . . . more

Toys 'R' Us is gone. This discount toy store is filling the void

CNN Business
Toys "R" Us filed for bankruptcy in 2017 and closed all of its stores. That's left an opening for rivals like discount toy chain Five Below to fill the gap. . . . more

Retail bankruptcies to remain low in first half of 2022 as long as …

CSA

The slowdown of retail bankruptcy filings that begin in the first half of 2021 is expected to continue. . . . more

Online grocery sales down 6% in March

CSA

Delivery is fueling online grocery sales. . . . more

Downtown clothing store moves to Salmon Run Mall

NNY 360
During last year’s holiday shopping season, merchant Marylois Queal thought about moving her downtown clothing store, Loft 315, to the Salmon Run Mall. . . . more

Your teenager probably wants to go to Chick-fil-A

Restaurant Business
The Atlanta-based chicken QSR once again topped the semi-annual Taking Stock with Teens spending survey from investment bank Piper Sandler Companies, as it has for several years. . . . more

Dave & Buster's to Buy Main Event for $835 Million

FSR

Dave & Buster's announced Wednesday that it's spending $835 million to acquire fellow eatertainment chain Main Event from Ardent Leisure Group Limited and RedBird Capital Partners. . . . more

Will tax refund season be the highlight for apparel sales this year?

Retail Dive

As rising food and fuel prices squeeze household spending, and as consumers return to dining out and travel, retail's rebound from the pandemic could be short-lived. . . . more

Freddy’s expansion on track; looks to double footprint

CSA

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers has maintained its strong growth momentum in the first quarter of the new year. . . . more

Teens spending rises; fave brands are …

CSA

The nation’s teenagers aren’t letting their increased concerns about economic uncertainty and the war in Ukraine put a damper on their spending. . . . more

Tropical Smoothie Cafe starts year strong with new store openings

CSA

Tropical Smoothie Cafe continued its 2021 expansion momentum into the first quarter of 2022. . . . more

TJ MAXX opening new store in Massachusetts

WHDH
TJ Maxx is opening a new store in Massachusetts next week. . . . more

A Wildly Popular Israeli Import Debuts Hit Pitas in Seaport

Boston Eater
The feverishly popular Tel Aviv-born Israeli street food chain, Miznon, throws open the doors to its first Boston outpost today (April 6) in Seaport with a pita-stuffed menu that confidently strolls away from classic accompaniments like baba ganoush and hummus. . . . more

Kroger, Bed Bath & Beyond officially launch e-commerce partnership

CSA
Kroger is making select Bed Bath & Beyond products available on its website, with plans for an in-store pilot. . . . more

Regional grocer digitally engages in-store shoppers

CSA

Giant Food is piloting a next-generation, in-store product engagement platform in select Washington, D.C., area stores. . . . more

First Look: Check out Target’s new Times Square store

CSA

Target Corp. has opened a location on one of the busiest blocks in New York City. . . . more

Malls see a big rebound in foot traffic in March

CSA

March was a step in the right direction with regard to foot traffic in the nation’s malls. . . . more

Red Lobster on the hunt for a new CEO

CSA

The chief executive of Red Lobster is leaving after less than a year on the job. . . . more

Walmart Health expands into new market

CSA

Walmart is expanding its freestanding health care concept. . . . more

Chipotle launches burrito-rolling game — online

CSA

Chipotle Mexican Grill is offering a new promotion on the popular Roblox digital gaming platform with “real world” crossover. . . . more

Is Petco positioned for long-term growth?

Retail Dive
Petco's on a roll. . . . more

Business group tells Congress: Retail theft a ‘national crisis’

CSA

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce wants Congress to take action to address the rise of organized retail theft. . . . more

J.C. Penney marks 120th anniversary with omnichannel campaign

CSA

A “Saturday Night Live” star is helping The J.C. Penney Co. Inc. launch its new “Shopping is Back” promotion. . . . more

Wendy's opens metaverse restaurant in Horizon Worlds

Restaurant Dive
Wendy's has launched Wendyverse, a virtual restaurant on Meta's Horizon Worlds platform, per details emailed to Marketing Dive. . . more

Brick by brick: How Lego continues to build a toy empire

Retail Dive

Mention Lego and most people have a story to tell. . . . more

Five Below looks to triple store count by 2030

Retail Dive
In its latest earnings release, discounter Five Below laid out long-term goals to grow its sales and footprint. . . more

Container Store launches new app, loyalty program

CSA
The Container Store is rolling out its new tier-based loyalty program in conjunction with a new mobile app. . . more

The retailer with the best personalization is…

CSA

Two retailers have actually tied for the top spot in the fifth annual Retail Personalization Index. . . . more

Macy’s to invest $584 million in new fulfillment center

CSA

Macy’s, Inc. is investing in its digital future. . . . more

Foxtrot Market expanding, entering new markets

CSA

Foxtrot Market is doubling down on the Washington, D.C., metro area. . . . more