Marketing

New York -- Lululemon Athletica signed leases to open two new stores in the Soho section of downtown Manhattan, including its first-ever freestanding store for men, The Real Deal reported.

The men’s store will be located at 127 Prince Street. The women’s store will take space at 125 Prince Street.

Lululemon is on track to open some 45 locations this year.

New York -- The nation’s three largest off-price retailers (TJX, Ross Stores and Burlington) will see above-average growth, in the 6%-8% range, over the next five years, compared with 4% growth for the broader retail industry, according to a new report by Moody's Investors Service. The leaders in the space have thousands of vendor relationships and significant scale, so supply constraints aren't likely to hinder their growth, the report noted.

New York -- Costco Wholesale Corp will stop accepting American Express cards at its stores in Canada, effective January 1, 2015.

“The credit card relationship between American Express and Costco Wholesale Canada will not be renewed when it expires on Dec. 31,” the company stated in an e-mail to Canadian customers.

Costco’s U.S. locations will continue to accept American Express Cards, with the exception of TrueEarnings and American Express Platinum Cash Rebate cards issued in Canada, the chain said.

Camp Hill, Pa. -- Rite Aid Corp. on Thursday reported better-than-expected profit and sales for the second quarter. But the chain cut its full-year profit outlook, citing lower reimbursement rates and anticipated lower profitability from new generics and generic drugs that recently lost exclusivity.

Rite Aid’s second-quarter profit surged to $129.2 million, up from $32.8 million in the year-earlier period,

Lancaster, Pa. -- Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, the 1, 600-unit global franchise, has entered into a partnership with Meijer. In August, Auntie Anne’s opened its first Meijer franchise location, in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
 
Auntie Anne’s will continue to build its partnership with the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer with two stores currently in the pipeline. The first is slated to also open in Fort Wayne later this year, with an additional location planned for Michigan in 2015.
 

In a time of evolution and change, when buzz terms like right-sizing and asset management dominate retail real estate conversations, an unwavering focus on the tenant is more important than ever before. Chain Store Age talked with Jeff Kuchman, Principal/Director Tenant Brokerage, Mid-America Real Estate Corp., based in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, about the company’s tenant representation business and how it has continued to take center stage.

Ace Hardware has expanded its partnership with eBay Enterprise to enhance its omnichannel capabilities as the company ramps up its efforts to stay competitive, drive sales and acquire new customers.

The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) has appointed Sue Pifer as VP of compliance and Tiffin Shewmake as the director of the Center for Retail Compliance (CRC).

“The experience and skills that Sue and Tiffin possess make them uniquely suited for delivering exceptional value to our member companies on a broad range of compliance issues. We are excited to have them join the RILA team,” said RILA president Sandy Kennedy.

Two new Kindle e-readers from Amazon hit the market next month with a host of new features beyond the typical thinner and lighter claims.

The WhiteWave Foods Company, a leading consumer packaged food and beverage company in North America and Europe, has agreed to acquire So Delicious Dairy Free from its existing shareholders, led by Wasserstein & Co., for approximately $195 million in cash.