Displays & Signs

GameStop has joined a growing list of retailers offering a new incentive for a vast segment of consumers to start thinking about holiday shopping: a comprehensive layaway program.

The company has joined Kmart, Walmart and other retailers in launching an enhanced layaway program in the past few weeks designed to help shoppers access the hottest gifts of the season.

It’s been a busy fall for hip eyewear marketer Warby Parker.

The company opened its first permanent location in Washington, D.C., in the Georgetown section.

The 1,230-sq.-ft. store features Warby Parker’s signature classic library design, with custom brass library lamps, suspended globe lighting, chevron wood flooring, walnut shelving, and banquette seating for reading and relaxing.

Mount Holly, N.J. -- Levin Management announced that Physician network Virtua Medical Group has leased 5,800 sq. ft. of space at Fairground Plaza in Mount Holly, New Jersey, where it plans to open its Virtua Express Urgent Care Center. Fairground Plaza is located on Route 541, serving a residential population of more than 81,000 people within a five-mile radius. The center is anchored by Acme supermarket and Staples.

Kohl’s is giving its millennial customers some exciting new cold weather merchandise to think about as the fall season gets well under way.

The retailer is debuting the Madden Girl collection, featuring fashion, cold weather boots, accessories and outerwear. The collection will be available Oct. 15 in Kohl’s stores and on Kohls.com. The assortment will include the brand’s cold weather boots as well as exclusive designs for the fall season.

Pink will prevail at Macy’s this month when the retailer launches an omnichannel campaign to raise funds for the fight against breast cancer.

The retailer has joined forces with the Pink Pony Fund, the Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation’s initiative in the fight against cancer, to offer a special collection of merchandise that transforms Polo Ralph Lauren shops into Pink Pony destinations in 48 Macy’s locations across the country and at macys.com/pink.

Another iconic U.S. brand has opened its own freestanding store. Ice hockey equipment giant Bauer Hockey, founded in 1927, made its brick-and-mortar debut, in Burlington, Massachusetts. The 20,000-sq.-ft. store, called

The first in a series of interviews with retail executives who attend SPECS, Chain Store Age’s annual store planning conference.

Nordstrom will debut several new features when it opens on October 2 in Minnetonka, Minn., including “girlfriend” fitting rooms, which offer more space so that friends can try items on in the same room, and a beauty format that allows customers to select items from store shelves themselves, reports the Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Jounal.

For store photos, click here.

Teen apparel retailer Hollister will remove the steps from its store entrances following a six-year court battle.

The company, owned by Abercrombie & Fitch Co., has agreed to eliminate the steps that part of the exterior design of many of its stores in order to make the doorways wheelchair accessible, the Associated Press reported. The change is part of a settlement approved by a federal judge.

Wawa managed to beat the clock in Philadelphia, opening a flagship location just in time for the Pope’s visit.

The convenience store operator opened the 4,000-sq.-ft. store nearly two months ahead of schedule, and in time for the crowds in town to see Pope Francis.

The new Wawa features an entirely new store design, colors, graphics and other one-of-a-kind features. It was designed in collaboration with Interbrand Design Forum, Dayton, Ohio, and Cuhaci and Peterson, locally based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.