Strategy

Eataly is taking its Italian food marketplace format to Canada.   The company announced plans to open its first Canadian location in early 2019, as an anchor tenant of the newly renovated Manulife Centre in Toronto.   Eataly, which combines food markets, restaurants, and eateries, will span three stories for a total space of 50,000 sq. ft.  

Von Maur is slowly expanding its Dry Goods women’s specialty store format.   The retailer has opened a 4,000-sq.-ft. store at Woodland Mall. Since launching in 2010, Dry Goods has grown to 19 locations across six states.   Dry Good’s name and  store design were inspired by Von Maur's heritage as a dry goods store, dating back to 1872 in downtown Davenport, Iowa.    

Macy’s is the latest retailer to announce it will hire roughly the same amount of holiday employees as last year.    This holiday season, the department store giant plans to hire approximately 83,000 associates for positions across its Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s stores, call centers, distribution centers and online fulfillment centers nationwide.   

Not all department stores are scaling back on their portfolio.    Von Maur Department Stores has opened its third location in the state of Georgia, a 165,000-sq.-ft. store at the Mall of Georgia in Buford.  

The new Hamilton Crossings shopping center in Lower Macungie Township, Pennsylvania, will benefit from an innovative new traffic control system that manages signal timing based on continuously monitored traffic volumes.   The system allows traffic approaching the center from a major artery to the mall “largely unstopped” by lights, township engineer Alan Fornwalt told Allentown’s Morning Call.  

It’s official: Wal-Mart is ready to service a new online customer base.   Wal-Mart’s acquisition of Jet.com was finalized yesterday, a move that extends the chain’s already vast digital presence.  

Shoptalk Commerce, the organizer of U.S. retail and e-commerce event Shoptalk, announced the launch of Shoptalk Europe, to be held at The Bella Center in Copenhagen on October 9-11, 2017, following Shoptalk’s U.S. event, which will take place at the Aria in Las Vegas on March 19-22, 2017.  

Ascena Retail Group Inc., which operates apparel stores under the Ann Taylor, Loft, Lane Bryant and other banners, on Monday reported fiscal fourth-quarter earnings worse than Wall Street expected and also gave weaker-than-expected guidance for fiscal 2017.   The parent company of Lane Bryant, Ann, Justice and other apparel banners reported net income of $13.8 million, after reporting a loss in the same period a year earlier.  

Although most Americans are still irritated to see holiday items appear in the store alongside Halloween goodies and don’t like stores being open on Thanksgiving, attitudes are beginning to change.   

It’s 12,000 stores and counting for Dunkin’ Donuts.   The chain on Tuesday opened its 12,000th restaurant worldwide, in Riverside, California. The new location is part of Dunkin’s strategic westward expansion.    It plans to open more than 30 new restaurants in California this year with plans for about 300 new locations total to be developed in the state over the coming years.