Events

Canton, Mass. - Dunkin' Brands Group Inc., the parent company of Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, plans to add between 410 and 440 net new U.S. Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants five to 10 net new Baskin-Robbins U.S. restaurants in 2015. Globally, the company expects to open between 615 and 750 net new units in the coming year.  

Looking to capitalize on the crafting craze, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores is partnering with the Craft Retail Group to launch TV programming dedicated specifically to crafting.

The “TV shopping experience” with daily featured shows is scheduled to launch Dec. 29.

New York City - The International Council of Shopping Centers has named 12 shopping centers as winners of its 2014 U.S. Design and Development Awards competition.  ICSC’s U.S. Design and Development Awards are designed to recognize outstanding projects for excellence in the creation of new retail projects, and in the expansion or redevelopment of existing projects, solely within the continental United States.   

Walmart has announced the 75 winners of its Food Pantry Holiday Makeover campaign, which gifts a food pantry organization with a $20,000 grant for renovations. 

New York - The Brits are no slouches when it comes to holiday advertisements.

The competition between British retail giants to come up with the most compelling TV ad grows more intense every holiday season.

This year, the biggest initial buzz was created by Sainsbury, with its depiction of the famous Christmas truce on the battlefields of World War I.

A fresh round of unionization efforts appear to be in store for major retailers next spring after organized labor won a favorable ruling regarding how elections are conducted.

Ridgefield, Conn. - Moviegoers are still enjoying the big-screen entertainment at the AMC Theaters in Levittown, New York, even as Schimenti Construction is renovating the ten-theater complex.  The company’s first project with AMC, it will be completed in January 2015, in just 95 calendar days from start to finish.  

More than 3,200 military members, veterans and their families attended the Holiday for Heroes event at Mall of America.

The mall, working with Beyond the Yellow Ribbon, invited attendees to enjoy unlimited rides at Nickelodeon Universe, free breakfast at Hard Rock Cafe, a military resource fair, visits with Santa, an ugly sweater photo booth and prizes valued at more than $200.

This is the first year Mall of America has hosted Holiday for Heroes.