Events

Riverside, Calif. — Farmer Boys will open its 75th fast casual restaurant in Orange, Calif., this weekend. The Grand Opening will include a ribbon cutting ceremony, burger-eating contest, Big Cheese burger giveaway and family entertainment.

The fast, casual Farmer Boys chain prides itself on using farm-fresh ingredients.

In a move to increase traffic and grow sales, Family Dollar said it added 400 products to its food offerings and reduced prices on 1,000 other items.

As part of the rollout, the operator of more than 8,100 stores enlisted the aid of television personality, author and chef Pat Neely. Plans call for Neely to participate in several special events including a recipe contest in which the challenge is to prepare a meal for four for under $15. The contest winner will receive a cooking experience with Neely at his home in Memphis.

The backyard chicken movement is a consumer trend that likely went undetected by the insights teams at most retailers, but not Tractor Supply.

The nation’s leading farm and ranch store has developed an innovative promotion called “Chick Days,” and is touting the benefits of raising backyard poultry with the promotional piece, “Raise Your Roost.” A dedicate landing page at TractorSupply.com also features a wide range of chicken products to help customers raise a healthy flock.

Oak Brook, Ill. – McDonald’s is offering free McCafe coffee is available during breakfast hours starting March 31 through April 13 in participating restaurants. To kick off the two-week campaign, McDonald's will host "Make Friends with McCafe" sampling events at high traffic locations and transportation hubs in multiple cities across the country.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. – Sears is launching Now + Here, a fast fashion shop available in Sears stores across the country, on Sears.com and Shopyourway.com, in the second week of April. The Now + Here shops offer a new shop environment with monthly deliveries.

The fully integrated retail experience extends online with access to exclusive content, including behind the scenes videos and fashion tips.

A week after it divested Lands’ End, Sears announced plans to launch Now + Here, a fast fashion shop available in Sears stores across the country, on Sears.com and Shopyourway.com, the second week of April. The Now + Here shops offer a new shop environment with monthly deliveries.

The move comes as the company continues to transform into a member-centric retailer leveraging Shop Your Way and integrated retail.

Leading brands are retailers were recognized for their effectiveness in marketing communications Tuesday night in Chicago when the fourth annual North American Shopper Marketing Effie Awards were held at the Path to Purchase Institute’s annual Shopper Marketing Summit.

More than 360 select Loblaw banner stores across Canada nabbed the world record for the most wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese cracked simultaneously, as declared by a Guinness World Records adjudicator. Officially, 1,008 wheels were cracked in more than 360 Loblaw banner stores simultaneously across Canada.

American Eagle has had a rough winter. Robert Hanson resigned as the company’s CEO following disappointing holiday sales, and severe winter weather contributed to weak fourth-quarter results.

Interim CEO Jay Schottenstein looked on the bright side as shares dropped nearly 7%, saying that the company was taking steps to bring greater focus and excitement to its product offering and better engage its core customers.

Lane Bryant hosted its first-ever designer runway show this week, featuring the retailer's collaboration with Isabel and Ruben Toledo. The show took place at the Seagram Building, in New York.

The fashion show featured portions of the spring and fall collection. Models walked the runway in sheath dresses and coats adorned in Isabel's signature patterns, tunics and cocktail dresses. Designs were presented in black, white, gold and soft grey. Pieces were color blocked and complemented with hints of patterns.