Ulta Beauty tops expectations as beauty business rebounds

CSA
Ulta Beauty reported better-than-expected third-quarter results with comp sales that topped pre-pandemic levels.. . . more

American Freight Awards Two New Locations In Texas And Louisiana

CSA
American Freight, a leading furniture, mattress and appliance retailer, is awarding John and Llaura Jenkins with two franchise locations in Longview, Texas and northwestern Louisiana, adding to the company’s growing nationwide footprint of more than 300 stores. . . . more

Five Below in strong Q3; holiday off to ‘strong start’

CSA
Five Below reported third-quarter results that beat Wall Street expectations despite a “challenging” supply chain environment. The teen and tween value retailer reported that its earnings totaled $24.2 million, or $0.43 a share, in the quarter ended Oct. 30, compared with $20.4 million, or $0.36 a share, in the year-ago period. Analysts had expected earnings per share of $0.29. . . . more

Toys ‘R’ Us to open global flagship at American Dream

CSA
Toys “R” Us is making a big move in its U.S. retail comeback — just in time for the holidays.
The iconic toy retailer will open a flagship — the first in the United States under its new owners — in mid-December at American Dream, the massive, three million sq.-ft.-plus entertainment and retail center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The two-level, 20,000-sq.-ft. store will feature a modern design with signature elements that have long been associated with the retailer, including its mascot, Geoffrey the Giraffe.. . . more

Dollar General to open 1,110 stores in 2022; plans international expansion

CSA
Dollar General unveiled aggressive expansion plans that includes its first stores outside of the U.S. and the acceleration of the rollout of its more upscale Popshelf store concept.
The discounter’s 2022 real estate plans include 1,110 new stores — including its first stores in Idaho, its 47th state — and 1,750 remodels. Dollar General will also open its first international stores, with plans to open up to 10 locations in Mexico. . . more

Twin Peaks Signs Grand Slam Deal to Bring 10 Lodges to Philadelphia

CSA
Los Angeles, CA (RestaurantNews.com) FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands Inc., parent company of Twin Peaks Restaurant and 14 other restaurant concepts, today announced a 10-store franchise development agreement with Moussa Haidar and Tom Pisula to bring its rugged lodge atmosphere to Philadelphia. . . . more

NRF holiday recap: In-store shopping up, online down; average spend falls YOY

CSA.com
Approximately 104.9 million people shopped in stores from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, up from 92.3 million in 2020, according to the annual survey by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The overall number of online shoppers decreased to 127.8 million from 145.4 million last year.  . . . more

Velvet Taco sold to Leonard Green & Partners

NRN.com
Fast-casual restaurant chain Velvet Taco has been sold to private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners L.P., former majority owner L Catterton, another private equity firm, said Tuesday.. . . more

Hwy 55 Seeks Operating Partners for Stand-Alone Stores; 20 Planned for 2021-22

RestaurantNews.com
Mt. Olive, NC Hwy 55, a small-town Americana burger chain based in eastern North Carolina, is growing up. This year marks the launch of a multi-year expansion plan that will shift its locations, previously housed in shopping centers, to innovative free standing models.. . . more

Pollo Campero will triple US footprint in 5 years

Fast Casual.com
Only 80 of Pollo Campero's 350 global locations are in the U.S., but the 50-year-old brand born in Guatemala is on a mission to increase its presence in the States to 250 by 2026.. . . more

Walmart CFO Brett Biggs to depart

Supermarket News
Walmart Chief Financial Officer Brett Biggs plans to leave the company in 2023 to pursue other opportunities.. . . more

Biden meets with CEOs about supply chain issues; Walmart cites improvements

CSA
CEOs of Kroger, Best Buy, Etsy were among executives who met with President Biden at the White House on Monday to discuss the state of holiday supply chain challenges. . . . more

CGP: Black Friday sales hit record $34.9 billion, boosted by Thanksgiving closures

CSA
Black Friday reclaimed its relevance as the key retail milestone on the way to Christmas.. . . more

Dollar Tree to increase price point, shares Q3 results

Storebrands.com
Discount chain Dollar Tree shared strong financial numbers from Q3 of this year while also announcing the company will raise the price point from $1 beginning next year. . . . more

Natural Grocers Announces Q4 Results, Partnership with RangeMe

WFM.com
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has announced results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended September 30, 2021, and provided its outlook for fiscal 2022, according to a press release. Separately, the company announced that it is partnering with RangeMe, an online product sourcing platform, to streamline the search for innovative new products. . . . more

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu Announces the extension of the outdoor dining season to Dec. 31, 2021

BRET
BOSTON – Building on her commitment to support small businesses across Boston’s neighborhoods, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced the extension of the outdoor dining season to December 31, 2021. The extension of outdoor dining on private patios and city streets had previously been set to expire on December 1. . . . more

DTC 3D-printed furniture brand Model No. opens first physical store

CSA
An online furniture retailer with a mission to create healthy, tech-forward and made-to-order furniture has opened its first physical space. . . . more

Black Friday store traffic up year-over-year; down from pre-pandemic levels

CSA
Traffic in retail stores rebounded from last year but remains down compared with 2019 as consumers started holiday shopping earlier in the season and also continued their shift to online.. . . more

Starbucks in Harvard Square closes down suddenly

BOSTON.COM
The Starbucks in Harvard Square closed down suddenly and unexpectedly on Sunday, Nov. 21 after serving drinks to students for over 10 years.. . . more

Avoid these 3 holiday scams on Black Friday and Cyber Monday

CNBC Business
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are almost here — and consumers shopping for the winter holidays should be on the lookout for online scams. . . . more

Supply chain issues take big bite out of Gap; slashes full-year forecast

CSA

Gap Inc. delivered disappointing third-quarter results as COVID-related factory closures and ongoing port congestion led to “significant” product delays. . . . more

Nordstrom Q3 earnings fall amid labor costs, weak Rack sales

CSA
Nordstrom Inc.’s third-quarter earnings fell short of estimates due to higher labor costs and challenges in its off-price Rack division, whose sales fell from pre-pandemic levels. . . . more

Why thousands of restaurants are open, but you're not allowed inside

CNN Business
Early in the pandemic, restaurants had to close their dining rooms because of local or national restrictions intended to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Those restrictions have mostly lifted — but thousands of restaurant dining rooms are still unavailable to customers. . . . more

Stores are closing on Thanksgiving, but thousands of retail staff are still working

CNN Business
Store workers at major US chains are getting to spend Thanksgiving at home as more retailers decide to close their doors for the holiday. But not all retail staff will get the day off. . . . more

Going to the store may be your smartest bet to navigate the supply chain crisis this holiday

CNN Business
The supply chain crisis means last-minute gift buyers may have little choice but to go shopping the old-fashioned way this holiday season. . . . more

How retailers can evolve and thrive in 2022

Supermarket News
The year is coming to a close, and retailers’ plans for 2022 are already well underway, paying close attention to the market shifts that took place in 2021. . . . more

Wingstop Breaks Into Manhattan, with 20 More Stores on the Way

QSR
Wingstop announced plans in July to develop the Manhattan, New York, area in a company-owned strategy that includes an asset mix of traditional locations and ghost kitchens, with more than 20 upcoming openings over the course of three years. . . more

Burlington Stores See Same-Store Sales Climb 16 Percent Against Q319

SGB Media

Burlington Stores, Inc. reported earnings and sales gains for the third quarter ended October 30, 2021 against the third quarter of 2019 but also said freight and supply chain challenges pressured margins in the period. . . . more

Best Buy CEO says the trauma from rising retail thefts could force employees to quit

CNBC Business

Best Buy CEO Corie Barry said Tuesday that rising theft is hitting the company’s profits and could hurt employee retention at a time when the labor market is tight, especially in the retail industry. . . . more

Dollar Tree hikes prices 25%. Most items will cost $1.25

CNN Business
Dollar Tree will soon be $1.25 tree. . . . more

First Look: Panera Bread unveils next-gen restaurant

CSA

Panera Bread is doubling down on drive-thru without neglecting dine-in. . . . more

Amazon to open first grocery stores in Massachusetts, New England

WCVB
Amazon, the online e-commerce behemoth that delivers millions of packages to New England homes each day, is set open its first grocery stores to Massachusetts. . . . more

Target To Keep Stores Closed On Thanksgiving Permanently

CBS Boston
Target will no longer open its stores on Thanksgiving Day, making permanent a shift to the unofficial start of the holiday season that was suspended during the pandemic. . . . more

Shoe Carnival Just Had Its Best Quarter Ever. Its Newly Minted CEO Explains Why.

Footwear News

It’s been a busy few months for Mark Worden. . . . more

BJ’s nets sales double-double in third quarter

Supermarket News
BJ’s Wholesale Club saw both net and comparable sales climb by double digits in its fiscal 2021 third quarter, adding to double-digit sales gains from elevated consumer demand a year ago. . . more

Macy’s and Kohl’s are raising clothing prices to protect profits. Investors see that as a big win.

CNBC Business

A round of major retail earnings this week revealed a stark divide in the industry between the retailers that are trying to keep prices low for customers amid rising inflation, and those that are able to pass on costs to shoppers this holiday season. . . . more

Video game consoles and smartphones will be harder to find this holiday season

CNN Business
The global chip shortage is making it harder for shoppers to get their hands on some of the most sought after tech gadgets of the holiday season. . . . more

Macy's to delay store closures, launch third-party marketplace next year

Retail Dive
Macy's is pausing its plan to close 125 stores, announced last year as part of its Polaris turnaround, telling analysts Thursday that physical locations have proven key to digital as well as brick-and-mortar sales. . . more

Nordstrom to expand in entirely new category via deal with Fanatics

CSA

Nordstrom is beefing up its online assortment by entering the licensed sports merchandise category for the first time in its history. . . . more

CVS Plans To Close 900 Stores In The Next 3 Years

CBS Boston
CVS announced Thursday it is planning to close about 300 stores per year over the next three years, while increasing its offering of health services. The closures will start in spring of 2022. . . . more

Starbucks has opened a store with Amazon Go

Supermarket News

Starbucks opened its first Starbucks Pickup store in partnership with Amazon Go on the Upper East Side in New York City Thursday, with two more on the way in the area by early 2022. . . . more

Placer.ai: The holiday shopping season may have begun in October

CSA

There isn’t a retail research firm or an investment house that hasn’t predicted an early start to a holiday season in which product availability is being curtailed by supply chain problems, and Placer.ai’s October Mall Index indicates Christmas shopping is underway. . . . more

Solstice Sunglasses reduced rents significantly to exit Chapter 11

CSA
With its revenues slashed in half by mandatory store closings in 2020, Solstice Sunglasses sought bankruptcy protection and emerged from Chapter 11 with fewer shops and smaller rents. . . . more

Amazon 4-Star and Warby Parker to open at Cherry Hill Mall

CSA

Prominent online brands continue to expand to high-profile physical retail locations, the latest being Amazon 4-Star and Warby Parker signing leases at the super-regional Cherry Hill Mall in New Jersey. . . . more

TJX revenue up 20% over pre-pandemic level as HomeGoods continues to soar

CSA

The TJX Cos. reported revenue and earnings that beat analysts’ expectations as comp-sales rose across all its brands, with Home Goods the star of the show. . . . more

Retail winners of past year: Target, Best Buy, and dollar stores

CSA

During a three-hour webinar yesterday, foot traffic analyst Placer.ai, itself a big winner over the past year, asked panelists to name the retail brands they thought conquered the pandemic. Topping the list were Target and Best Buy. . . . more

Target beats expectations; ready for holidays with inventory up nearly 20%

CSA

Target Corp. reported stronger-than-expected third-quarter earnings and sales and said it’s ready for the holidays as it remains focused on “protecting prices” for customers. . . . more

Supermarket chains unveil private-brand additions

Supermarket News

The Save Mart Cos. and H-E-B have added new labels to their own-brand portfolios, while The Kroger Co. has updated its Comforts line of disposable diapers. . . . more

Foot Locker merges Champs Sports and Eastbay brands

Retail Dive
Foot Locker is merging its Champs Sports and Eastbay brands after last year integrating the corporate organizations for both labels, according to a company release. . . . more

Papa John's redesigns its logo and stores

CNN Business
Papa Johns is the latest restaurant brand to give itself a makeover. . . more

KFC wants customers to ditch the drive-thru

CNN Business
Restaurant drive-thrus have become too popular for their own good. Kentucky Fried Chicken wants its customers to ditch them. . . . more

What supply chain crisis? America's largest retailer is doing just fine

CNN Business
The supply chain crisis isn't slowing down Walmart. . . . more

Christmas Trees May Cost More This Year Due To Shortage

CBS Boston
Christine Spillane says her nursery in Middleboro is getting ready for the post-Thanksgiving Christmas tree rush. Their trees will arrive next week but it will be a much smaller inventory. . . . more

Giant Food expands store footprint

CSA
Giant Food is expanding with two new stores. . . more

Dollar General Announces 18,000th Store Opening

Citizen Tribune
Today, Dollar General (NYSE: DG) announced the opening of its 18,000 th store located in Gulf Shores, Alabama. . . . more

Restaurant Brands International to acquire Firehouse Subs for $1B

Restaurant Dive
Restaurant Brands International has entered into an agreement to acquire Firehouse Subs for $1 billion in an all-cash transaction, the company announced Monday. . . . more

Grocery store CEO: How we're dealing with food shortages and higher prices

CNN Business
Since the onset of the pandemic, there has been intense scrutiny on the grocery industry, as historic demand and a stretched supply chain have led to rising food prices and shortages of certain products.. . . more

Chick-fil-A Restaurants Will Be Closed Christmas Weekend

CBS Boston
Chick-fil-A customers looking for their fix over Christmas weekend this year will be disappointed. . . more

KeyPoint Partners Negotiates Sale of Allston Storeblocks

Boston Real Estate Times
KeyPoint Partners (KPP) represented the seller and procured the buyer in the sale of 1-9 North Beacon Street/491 Cambridge Street and 479-489 Cambridge Street in Allston, Massachusetts for $7,940,000, said Jonathan Aron, Vice President of Investment Sales for the firm. . . more

ShopRite stores make debut a week apart

Supermarket News

Members of the Wakefern Food Corp. retail cooperative recently opened a pair of new ShopRite supermarkets a week apart in Matamoras, Pa., and Wayne, N.J. . . . more

Party City's Halloween more solid than scary, but costs loom

Retail Dive
Party City revenue during the Halloween period rose 13.9% year over year to $415.5 million, with retail revenue up nearly 20%. . . . more

Supply Chain Problems Affect Discount Stores Like T.J. Maxx, Marshalls

CBS Boston
Bummer for bargain hunters: It may be harder to snag designer clothes at T.J. Maxx, Burlington and Ross. . . . more

Genghis Grill Announces Franchise Expansion Strategy

QSR
Genghis Grill (Genghis), the nation’s leading build-your-own stir-fry concept with locations across the southern United States, has announced a franchise expansion strategy plan that will offer customization, freshness and fun in more communities across the nation. . . . more

Dollar General offers on-demand delivery of household essentials

CSA
Dollar General is making same-day, online delivery available from more than 9,000 stores. . . more

Food inflation stands out in October consumer pricing surge

Supermarket News
Much to the dismay of U.S. shoppers, consumer prices jumped more than 6% in October, boosted mainly by surging gasoline prices but also continued high inflation for food. . . more

AMC theaters now accepting cryptocurrencies

Fox Business
AMC Entertainment is now accepting more forms of payment at its theaters. . . more

Why Tapestry Is Confident It Will Meet Demand This Holiday Season

Footwear News
Tapestry isn’t worried about meeting demand this holiday season. . . more

Grocery shoppers hitting the stores for Thanksgiving early this year

Supermarket News

More shoppers than ever are shopping early for Thanksgiving this year, according to a new report from IRI tracking the purchase of Thanksgiving-related grocery categories throughout October. . . . more

Ahold Delhaize USA adds to sales gains in third quarter

Supermarket News

Led by its U.S. businesses, global food retailer Ahold Delhaize saw fiscal 2021 third-quarter sales improve on a sequential basis and build on prior-year growth propelled by the pandemic. . . . more

Study: Mobile gamers level up commitment to QSR digital ordering

Restaurant Dive
Nearly two-thirds (65%) of mobile gamers said they order takeout food from quick-service restaurants (QSRs) via apps and websites more than they did a year ago, per AdColony's Mobile Trends in QSR report released today (Nov. 4). . . . more

The Children's Place launches tween brand Sugar & Jade

Retail Dive
In the midst of a tween clothing resurgence, The Children's Place on Tuesday announced the launch of Sugar & Jade, its new tween apparel, accessories and footwear brand, according to company information sent to Retail Dive. . . . more

Staples still wants to acquire Office Depot

CSA

The parent company of Staples remains determined to acquire its chief rival. . . . more

Capitulation In Wendy’s Market After Q3 Results

Entrepreneur
The market in The Wendy’s Corporation (NASDAQ: WEN) had been trying to push the share prices higher for the last couple of months but couldn’t make it happen. . . . more

Kmart will have only a handful of US locations by year’s end

WHDH
Kmart is shuttering its last-remaining store in Michigan, the state where the once-proud retail chain launched in 1899. It’s one of series of store closings that will leave the company with only six locations in the continental United States still in business by year’s end. . . . more

Auntie Anne's and Cinnabon Sign 10-Unit Co-Brand Development Agreement to Expand in New York City

RSN
Auntie Anne's and Cinnabon today announced a deal with franchise group Fresh Dining Concepts to bring 10 co-branded Auntie Anne's and Cinnabon locations to the five New York City boroughs over the next four years. . . . more

Black Friday 2021: Expect so-so deals and supply snags

Boston Herald
Nope, sorry, you don’t have time to catch your breath from Halloween before careening into the next holiday — well, shopping holiday. Black Friday is upon us. . . . more

Bed Bath & Beyond to launch digital marketplace; names new C-suite roles

CSA

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. has made a series of moves as part of the reinvention of its business under president and CEO Mark Tritton. . . . more

Planet Fitness CEO says gym membership has almost reached its pre-Covid peak

CNBC Business
Membership at Planet Fitness gyms has nearly returned to its pre-pandemic peak, CEO Chris Rondeau told CNBC on Thursday, illustrating people’s eagerness to exercise outside of their home. . . more

Puma Opens the Doors to Its New North America Headquarters

Footwear News
Puma has opened the doors to its new North America headquarters. . . . more

Kroger unveils annual subscription program

Supermarket News

The Kroger Co. has introduced Boost by Kroger Plus, an annual subscription service that offers online benefits and additional rewards via the Kroger Plus loyalty program. . . . more

P.F. Chang's wants to offer self-delivery nationwide by 2023

Restaurant Dive
Prior to the pandemic, P.F. Chang's managed catering deliveries in-house and was already exploring self-delivery solutions. . . . more

Blockbuster is trapped in brand limbo. Will it ever get out?

Retail Dive
The Blockbuster brand has had a weird life. And it's only gotten weirder with time. . . . more

Altitude Trampoline Parks Leap Ahead Of Competitors With Accelerated Growth

Johnson City Press

While some traditional indoor entertainment venues have struggled during the pandemic, one brand is seeing a strong rebound, literally, in new franchise growth. . . . more

CVS surpasses third-quarter expectations and raises 2021 forecast

Fox Business

CVS Health delivered a better-than-expected third quarter and raised its 2021 forecast again as more people returned to its drugstores for prescriptions or COVID-19 vaccinations. . . . more

Bed Bath & Beyond partners with Uber to deliver baby essentials

Retail Dive

Bed Bath & Beyond has partnered with Uber to help launch a baby and kids vertical on the Uber Eats app, the companies announced Monday. . . . more

Ralph Lauren is opening 90 new stores this year

Retail Dive
Ralph Lauren on Tuesday said that Q2 2022 net revenue rose 26% year over year to $1.5 billion, although that was down 11.8% from 2019. . . . more

Major mall-owner CBL exits Chapter 11

CSA

“This is a huge day for CBL,” said chief executive Stephen Lebovitz, whose company just emerged from Chapter 11 following a year of publicly questioning the fate of a public company owning 100-plus malls in 29 states. . . . more

Staples opens two new Staples Connect locations

CSA

Staples is bringing its reimagined store format that spotlights coworking, podcasting and community event spaces to a new location on each coast. . . . more

Target to fill the empty JCP space at Brooklyn’s Kings Plaza

CSA
Most retail real estate developers would agree that losing a J.C. Penney anchor is bad, but that filling that space with a Target is a big win. That’s what’s happened at the million-plus-sq.-ft. Kings Plaza in Brooklyn and the leadership at owner Macerich is overjoyed. . . . more

Fat Brands to buy Fazoli’s for $130M

Restaurant Business

Fat Brands, the Los Angeles-based restaurant chain collector, is adding another concept to its portfolio after agreeing to purchase the Italian fast-casual Fazoli’s for $130 million, the company announced on Tuesday. . . . more

Packaged salads and fresh produce have retailers seeing green

Supermarket News
During the height of pandemic fears in the second and third quarters of 2020, fresh produce and the salad category saw a drop in sales as consumers turned more to center store packaged goods and e-commerce for their grocery needs. . . . more

All the Stores Closing for Thanksgiving This Year

Footwear News

As one of the busiest shopping days of the year, Thanksgiving used to be synonymous with getting a head start on holiday gifting and scoring deals ahead of the Black Friday rush. . . . more

Sweetening Fall Candy Sales

CStore Decisions

After an uncertain 18 months, candy sales are looking promising with better-for-you varieties, mega packs of gum and mints, and individually wrapped candy in multi-serving packages trending. . . . more

Burger King doles out crypto on Robinhood to boost loyalty program

Restaurant Dive

Burger King has teamed with investment platform Robinhood to offer members of its Royal Perks loyalty program a chance to win various cryptocurrency, according to a press release emailed to Marketing Dive. . . . more

Why are department stores a target for e-commerce spinoffs?

Retail Dive

Just when retailers thought their imperative was to combine their e-commerce and stores into one, smooth, silo-free operation, along comes Saks Fifth Avenue, attracting hundreds of millions of dollars from investors after splitting them apart. . . . more

Dick’s Sporting Goods expands new Public Lands, Golf Galaxy store concepts

CSA

Dick’s Sporting Goods continues to roll out its new experiential and discount store formats. . . . more

Snap Fitness Fuels Up for North American Franchise Growth

Franchise.org
Snap Fitness is breaking down the barriers that have prevented more than 80 percent of North Americans from joining gyms. . . . more

GameStop COO leaves after seven months on the job

CNN Business
GameStop chief operating officer Jenna Owens is leaving the company seven months after joining it, the company said in a regulatory filing. . . . more

Ikea moves forward with U.S. furniture buyback and resale

CSA

Ikea is turning its pilot of a U.S. resale program into a national rollout. . . . more

Noodles & Company Continues Strong Performance

QSR
Noodles & Company's total revenue in the third quarter increased 18.1 percent to $125.1 million, up from $106 million in Q3 of 2020. . . . more