News Briefs

Two sister sporting goods and clothing brands are seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Bob’s Stores and Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) have filed a petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. In the filing, Dave Barton, CEO of both brands, said the companies need reorganization and debt restructuring following a default on a $29.4 million loan with PNC Bank. 

Frasers Group plc, the previous U.K.-based owner of Bob’s Stores and EMS, sold the brands to GoDigital Media Group (GoDigital) for $70 million in cash in 2022. Frasers, then trading as Sports Direct International, acquired the two brands out of bankruptcy in 2017 as part of a bid to boost its U.S. presence.

The companies are headquartered in Connecticut (parent GoDigital is headquartered in Los Angeles) and operate stores in the Northeast, as well as e-commerce sites. As of June 21, 2024, the Bob’s Stores e-commerce site said it is under construction and will be back soon with an “enhanced online shopping experience,” and the EMS website says everything is on sale in an “inventory blowout.”

Both sites indicate that stores are currently open. GoDigital, Bob’s Stores and EMS have so far not publicly commented on the bankruptcy filing.

Sally Beauty is now offering same-day delivery on thousands of items through a new partnership.

The beauty retail, which specializes in hair color and care products, has teamed up with Instacart to deliver products in as fast as one hour from more than 2,200 Sally Beauty store locations across the country. Customers can now select from over 7,000 products, including hair color, hair care products, and items for skin and nails from proprietary brands, delivered directly to their doorstep.

"Our partnership with Instacart builds upon our ongoing omni-channel strategy and commitment to enhance accessibility," said Natalie Lockhart, group VP of strategy, customer insights & digital experience at Sally Beauty. "We remain focused on putting our customers first by offering the latest technology and shopping options to ensure they have greater access to all their beauty essentials."

The move comes after Sally Beauty expanded its partnership with DoorDash earlier this year, growing its number of stores available on the platform to more than 2,000.

"We're thrilled to continue broadening our offerings beyond grocery by partnering with Sally Beauty to deliver an extensive range of beauty products," said Blake Wallace, senior director of retail partnerships at Instacart. "This partnership not only enhances Sally Beauty's e-commerce capabilities but also addresses the growing demand for quick delivery of everyday beauty products, ensuring customers can receive their essentials when they need them."

As of March 31, 2024, Denton, Texas-based Sally Beauty operated more than 3,130 stores.

Headquartered in San Francisco, Instacart partners with more than 1,400 national, regional and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 80,000 stores across North America on the Instacart Marketplace.

Chain Store Age offices will be closed on Wednesday, June 19, in observance of the Juneteenth holiday. We will reopen on Thursday, June 20. 

Department store retailer Von Maur is expanding the footprint of its young women’s fashion banner. 

Dry Goods plans to open five new locations through the end of 2024, including the retailer’s first stores in Delaware, New Jersey and Virginia. (See end of article for locations.) These new sites are part of retailer’s continued nationwide growth strategy.

Dry Goods opened its first store in 2010. in Aurora, Ill. By the end of the year, the retailer willl operate 84 locations in 24 states across the country.

Dry Goods stores are focused on young women’s contemporary fashions, accessories, shoes and gifts, with an interior design that has a vintage-store feel. The brand features an interest-free credit card.

“We are thrilled with Dry Goods' continued success as we introduce the brand to new, fashion-forward shoppers in these exciting markets,” said Melody Wright, COO of Von Maur, Dry Goods' parent company. “As we continue to expand into new states, we look forward to sharing our store with even more customers. Our goal is always to provide updated, on-trend clothing and accessories that allow shoppers to show their personal style at an accessible price.”

Read More: Von Maur Department Stores launches five-year store renovation plan.

Here are the locations of Dry Goods’ newly announced store openings.

•Cherry Hill Mall (Cherry Hill, N.J.)

•Christiana Mall (Newark, Del.)

•Hamilton Place (Chattanooga, Tenn.), opened June 2024

 •Ross Park Mall (Pittsburgh, Pa.), opened April 2024

 •Short Pump Town Center (Richmond, Va.)

CBRE is expanding its team of brokers to serve the growing Arizona market.

The real estate firm has announced that Michael Hackett and Ryan Schubert have joined the firm's Phoenix office to lead retail investment sales in the Copper State. Hackett and Schubert join CBRE as executive VPs with the National Retail Partners, and bring extensive experience in selling multi-tenant retail shopping centers throughout the Southwest.

With a combined 45 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry, Hackett and Schubert previously held executive managing director roles at Cushman & Wakefield's Retail Investment Advisors.

Together, they have facilitated over $4 billion in retail investments since 2008, including the Summit at Scottsdale, Shops at Gainey Village, Montecito Marketplace, and Oro Valley Marketplace. 

"Michael and Ryan’s deep knowledge of the Southwest markets and proven track record will be invaluable as we continue to serve our private and institutional retail clients," said Chris Decouflé, managing director of Retail Capital Markets at CBRE.

CBRE's National Retail Partners has successfully transacted more than $53 billion in investment sales and 297 million sq. ft. across 2,474 transactions over the last decade.

(Pictured: Michael Hackett (L) and Ryan Schubert (R))

Ninety-four percent of Father's Day celebrators this year plan to make a purchase for the holiday, according to new data.

Numerator found that 65% of U.S. consumers plan to celebrate the holiday on Sunday, June 16. Top plans for Father's Day this year includes giving gifts (43% of celebrators), gathering with family and friends (41%), grilling or barbecuing (36%), cooking or baking at home (29%) and going out to eat (28%).

Among those who intent to purchase gifts, gift cards are the top choice at 38%, followed by apparel (37%) and tools or home improvement materials (24%). Boomers are the most likely generation to purchase gift cards (44% vs. 38% for all celebrators), while Gen Z is more likely to purchase tools or home improvement equipment (38% vs. 24%). Millennials are nearly twice as likely to purchase accessories such as bags, belts and scarves for Father's Day gifts (21% vs. 11%).

Most Father's Day celebrants plan to make their purchases from big box stores (45%), compared to 39% for online retailers and 32% for grocery stores. A third of shoppers (34%) plan to spend between $50 and $99 on their Father's Day items, while nearly three-quarters (73%) plan to spend the same as last year.

The spending data follows figures from the National Retail Federation which showed that three-quarters of consumers plan to celebrate Father’s Day this year, and on average, plan to spend $189.81 on gifts and celebrations.