Events

Toys"R"Us is looking to make the holidays a lot merrier for the 15.5 million children living in poverty in the United States.

The retailer has launched its annual nationwide fundraising campaign to benefit the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. Now through Dec. 6, customers can spread holiday joy to children living in poverty by donating new, unwrapped toys at any Toys"R"Us or Babies"R"Us store across the country and online.

Downtown Los Angeles is in the middle of a profound revitalization, one that is bringing new energy to a sprawling area that had long been written off as a cultural wasteland — and ghost town after 5 p.m. New residential construction has brought an influx of new residents into the area, with retailers and restaurants rushing in to meet the new demands.

More Americans are planning holiday-related purchases this year than in 2014, and those who plan to shop will spend more over a longer period of time.

That’s according to the International Council of Shopping Centers 2015 Consumer Forecast, which shows that 90% of Americans are planning holiday purchases this season, up from 82% last year. And overall, 80% of shoppers plan to spend the same or more this holiday season than they did in 2014.

More Americans are planning holiday-related purchases this year than in 2014, and those who plan to shop will spend more over a longer period of time, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers.

The Retail Design Institute, the oldest and largest association for design professionals, and Chain Store Age, the leading authority on retail operations and producer of the annual SPECS conference, are partnering on the Institute’s 45th Annual International Store Design Competition.

Food Lion has come up with an artistic way to connect with the communities it serves and feed the hungry at the same time.

The retailer is inviting kids ages 5-14 to participate in its Food Lion Feeds "Summers Without Hunger" Design-a-Reusable-Bag Contest. The winning design will be featured on next year's Food Lion Feeds reusable bag, which will be sold in more than 1,100 stores in June. The campaign is anticipated to help provide another 1 million meals to families and children in need. 

Twenty-three year SPECS attendee Randy Pannell, VP of construction for Saks Fifth Avenue, shares his thoughts on SPECS, Chain Store Age’s annual store planning/construction and facilities conference, which will be held March 13-15, 2016, in Dallas. For more on the event, click here.

Why do you attend SPECS each year?
To be honest, in the early years, SPECS was really just a trade show to me. But I soon realized that it was more than that. It really worked!

Shoppers are starting their holiday shopping earlier every year — and it's partially due to a perception that the deals aren't all that great anymore on Black Friday.

According to RetailMeNot’s annual holiday Shoppers Trend Report, only 10% of consumers believe that it is worth waiting until Black Friday for deals.

Fresh Thyme Farmers Market is upping its store count in the greater Chicago market.

The new specialty grocer will open three Chicagoland stores on Oct. 14, with one in the city, one in Crystal Lake and one in Naperville. The openings will give Fresh Thyme seven Chicagoland locations.

The chain, which offers organic products at value prices, recently opened a central support hub in Downers Grove, Illinois.

San Francisco -- General Growth Properties announced the launch of the first-ever marketplace at Stonestown Galleria’s in San Francisco. The marketplace is a partnership with SFMade, a California 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that promotes goods and services manufactured, designed and produced in the Bay Area.