Strategy

New York -- Microsoft Corp. will open a store in Bridgewater Commons, Bridgewater, N.J., on May 16. The store will be located on the mall’s second level, close to the existing Apple store.

The computer giant is also moving into Massachusetts, with a store in Boston. The opening date has not been announced.

We’re pleased to announce that we’ll be opening a new Microsoft Store at The Shops at Prudential Center in Boston!,” the company wrote on its Facebook page and website.
 

Canton, Mass. -- Baskin-Robbins announced Friday a plan to nearly double its U.K. presence over the next three years, adding 80 freestanding units to the 100 stores currently operating in the region.

The announcement comes as the ice cream chain celebrates the official opening of three new shops in London, each featuring the brand’s new international design that includes lounge-style seating, interactive LCD menu displays and upgraded wallcoverings reminiscent of waffle cones.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Kmart is introducing prescription pet medications at its stores, the mass-merchandise retail chain said Friday.

The company said the new program was designed to make it easier for customers to get branded and generic pet drugs and more convenient to shop for the whole family. More than 60% of American households own a pet, and families spent more than $50 billion on their pets in 2011, according to the American Pet Products Association.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Supermarket retailer Harris Teeter experienced a boost in second-quarter sales, as well as sales for the first half of fiscal year 2012, the company said.

Sales for the second quarter ended April 1, sales rose 6.7% to $1.12 billion, compared with the year-ago period, while the 26-week period experienced a sales boost of 7.6% to $2.24 billion, compared with the same period last year.

Boston -- City Sports will open its 21st store, in Burlington, Vt., on May 6.

The eco-conscious space—built utilizing reclaimed materials from previous stores—was designed to capture the spirit of the community. The existing ceiling was kept, and all lighting fixtures were replaced with energy-efficient bulbs.

Alice Walton, the daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton and his wife Helen, is slated to deliver the commencement address at the University of Arkansas on Saturday, May 12.

New York -- Ann Inc. will open a 5,394-sq.-ft. Loft store in Fort Worth, Texas’s shopping, dining and entertainment district Sundance Square.

The new store, slated to open in the fall in a vacant restaurant space, will join a lineup of Houston St. retailers that includes Jos. A. Bank, Pappagallo Classiques and Leddy’s Ranch.

Sundance Square unveiled plans for three new buildings to open in 2013 with retail space on the ground level of the buildings.

 

MATTHEWS, N.C. — Family Dollar Stores has entered into a strategic partnership with McLane, a provider of grocery and food service supply chain solutions, to enable the retailer to offer customers a broader selection of merchandise, including refrigerated and frozen food, across the retailer’s more than 7,200 locations in 45 states.