Packaging

Jeff Rubin, founder and CEO of It’Sugar, has always had a sweet tooth — and a passion for retail. Both are in his DNA. His father owned a chain of toy stores in the Midwest. After leaving the toy business, he went on to open a chain of bulk candy stores. Rubin worked on Wall Street for a while before returning home to help run the candy chain. In 1994, he left to go out on his own. He’s been on an upward trajectory since.

Experts credit Rubin with breathing new life into the candy store format.

A coordinated rebranding effort has resulted in a new name for retail associations POPAI and A.R.E, which merged last October.   The new, combined group has changed its name to Shop!, a trade association focused on enhancing retail environments and experiences. The name is designed to represent the 2,000-plus global member companies and align with the full industry community they support.  

Photo: Jeff Rubin, Founder, CEO, It’Sugar (Credit: Patrick Gray, Kabik Photo Group)   Jeff Rubin, founder and CEO of It’Sugar, has always had a sweet tooth — and a passion for retail. His father owned a chain of toy stores in the Midwest. After leaving the toy business, he went on to open a chain of bulk candy stores.  

Brookshire Grocery Co. is expanding with a new neighborhood format.    The Tyler, Texas-based supermarket operator will open 26 locations this summer under its new Spring Market banner. The stores will be on the sites of former Walmart Express stores that Brookshire is in the process of acquiring. (The acquisition is scheduled to close in July.) The locations range from southern Louisiana to west Texas.  

Walmart is reviving a familiar icon to be the symbol of its low-price marketing.

The discounter announced it is bringing back its yellow smiley image, which has been in hibernation for some 10 years. The image can already be seen in some digital advertising and will expand to television ads and select in-store signage next week.

Cotton lovers in the Boston area have a two-day opportunity to shop an in-store collection before it becomes available online.
 
Rue La La has partnered with promotional group Cotton Inc. for a second year. To kick off the collaborations, the brands will launch a custom-developed pop-up shop. The co-branded #SummerofCotton pop-up shop will be located on Newbury Street in Boston for two days, June 4-5.
 

Canadian specialty frozen food retailer M&M Meat Shops has changed its name to M&M Food Market as part of a total brand reinvention that includes a new store experience.

Complete with new shopping carts, color-coded in-store signage, merchandising displays and a kitchen, the new store concept works to create a more effective, convenient and hands-on shopping experience.

Designed by Shikatani Lacroix, the format is now being rolled out across Canada.

Photo Credit: Dylan’s Candy Bar
Personalized gummy bears printed on demand are now among the offerings at Dylan’s Candy Bar stores.   The retailer has partnered with Katjes Magic Candy Factory to bring what’s billed as the “first 3D candy printer in the world” to the United States. The U.K.-based Magic Candy Factory named Dylan’s as its exclusive partner for domestic retail and online sales.  

Photos by Ben Rahn/A-Frame Studio

Canadian luxury outerwear brand Mackage returned to its hometown to open a sleek flagship that will serve as a prototype for the brand’s international rollout. The space evokes the dramatic beauty of artic winter landscapes, brought to life with luxurious materials.

Retailers who can get consumers to generate social and online content about them have a decided competitive edge.

According to the new “CGC Index” from social marketing technology provider Bazaarvoice, consumer-generated content (CGC), or digital content that people create about a product or service they have experienced, used, purchased, or considered, can have a significant impact on retailer performance.