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News Briefs

  • 1/15/2025

    Duluth Trading Co. fills digital orders from stores

    Duluth Trading Co.

    Duluth Trading Co. is fulfilling digital purchases from the most profitable points on its distribution network.

    The Wisconsin-based lifestyle brand of men’s and women’s workwear, casual wear, outdoor apparel and accessories is leveraging the Manhattan Associates Active Order Management and Active Store Inventory & Fulfillment solutions to help make its inventory available across its four distribution centers, 65 stores and entire digital footprint. 

    The retailer has set a goal of reaching $1 billion in sales by the end of 2025 and is updating its inventory strategy to aid in reaching this goal. As part of this effort, Duluth Trading Co. is leveraging Manhattan Associates order management technology to analyze key fulfillment variables, including distance to customer, store sell-through rates, and out-of-stocks, to determine the most profitable way to fulfill orders. 

    Associates and store operations personnel will also leverage store inventory and fulfillment capabilities of Manhattan Associates solutions to help ensure accurate inventory levels across the Duluth Trading Co. store and distribution center network, so the retailer can leverage store inventory and resources to fulfill digital orders.

    [READ MORE: Duluth Trading Co. personalizes omnichannel customer communications]

    “Manhattan Associates allows us to optimize our inventory and fulfillment processes to drive profitable growth for our business,” said AJ Sutera, senior VP, chief technology and logistics officer at Duluth Trading. "We can serve our customers how they want with the fulfillment options that they choose, while making the most out of every piece of inventory in our distribution center and store network."

    Based in Mount Horeb, Wis., Duluth Trading Co. operates 65 Duluth Trading store locations nationwide and an e-commerce site.

  • 1/15/2025

    It’Sugar goes big at Woodfield Mall

    It'Sugar Woodfield Mall

    It’Sugar continues to expand its footprint. 

    The company, one of the largest specialty candy retailers in the U.S., has relocated its location at the Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Ill. At 5,600 sq. ft., the upgraded storefront is nearly double the size of It'Sugar's previous store. 

    The Woodfield Mall location is It’Sugar’s fifth store in the Chicago market. It features more than 300 “pick n’ mix” candy bins filled with a wide variety of sweets, ranging from classic favorites to trendy treats. Additional offerings include private label items, international candy and TikTok-inspired goodies.

    Alongside its signature bulk candy offerings, It’Sugar also features immersive candy displays from brands such as Sour Patch Kids, OREO, Nerds, Skittles, Reese’s and Starburst.

    The opening of the relocated Woodfield Mall store comes shortly after It’Sugar opened its 125th U.S. location, a 1,700-sq.-ft. store at the Galleria at Crystal Run in Middletown, N.Y. 

    “It’Sugar is more than a candy store,” said Jonathan Schwartz, VP of real estate, It’Sugar. “We deliver a candy experience unlike any other, bringing your favorite brands to life with bright colors, hilariously entertaining displays, and a wide variety of sweets and treats. Our goal is to create an environment where people of all ages can feel like a kid in a candy store.”

  • 1/15/2025

    Albertsons-anchored Las Vegas center changes hands

    Mountain's Edge Marketplace

    CBRE Group, Inc. has arranged the sale of a large grocery-anchored center in a fast-growing market.

    The real estate firm has announced the sale of Mountain’s Edge Marketplace, a 115,037-sq.-ft. neighborhood shopping center shadow-anchored by Albertsons, situated in the master-planned community of Mountain’s Edge in Las Vegas. The property was sold to an accomplished out-of-state investor for $50,305,000, or $437 per square foot.

    The property, which was built in 2016, is 98% leased to 40 national and local retailers, including Ross, Planet Fitness, Starbucks, Supercuts, The UPS Store, China A Go Go, and T-Mobile, along with a complementary mix of national, regional, and local retailers, service providers, and restaurants. The Albertsons-occupied property was not included in the sale.

    [READ MORE: CBRE sells three SoCal centers]

    Roy Fritz and Preston Fetrow of CBRE’s National Retail Investment Partners-West led the transaction representing the seller, Remington Nevada, a private investment firm based in Las Vegas, focused on developing Class A retail shopping centers in the Southwest.

    “Nevada and Las Vegas specifically continue to attract institutional and private capital investments in retail assets,” said Philip D. Voorhees, CBRE vice chairman. “The combination of a premier quality asset in one of the most coveted master plans in Las Vegas and exceptional, long-term, fixed-rate, non-recourse financing permitted an excellent result for buyer and seller and new record pricing in greater Las Vegas for a shadow-anchored grocery asset of this size, on a cap rate basis.”

    CBRE Group, Inc. is headquartered in Dallas, and is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2023 revenue).

  • 1/15/2025

    Locally: In-store pick up options see increase during 2024 holidays

    Online shopping

    Omnichannel shopping and local pickup options played a key role in the 2024 holiday shopping season.

    According to insights from Locally, a real-time network of over 55,000 retailers worldwide, this past holiday season saw 7.5% year-over-year growth in buy online, pick-up in-store and reserve online-pick-up In-store transactions across its network. Nearly 50% of online shoppers abandoned their carts when local pickup wasn’t an option, which underscores the importance of omni-channel solutions. This year, Locally says over 90% of leading retailers are expected to adopt omnichannel strategies.

    Locally also found that 71% of consumers preferred supporting local retailers, even if it meant paying a slight price premium, adding that people who conduct a local Google search on their smartphone visit a physical place within 24 hours, and 28% of those searches result in a purchase. Locally says that brands using its platform reported a 49% increase in retailer engagement and inventory participation during the past holiday season.

    [READ MORE: Salesforce: Global online holiday sales set $1.2T record; returns boom]

    "The 2024 holiday season confirmed that consumers value connection, trust, and the tangible benefits of shopping locally," said Mike Massey, founder and CEO of Locally. "The data shows a clear and sustained shift toward local retail as a preferred choice. Consumers increasingly demanded the flexibility to browse and buy on their terms, and local retailers were quick to respond with omnichannel strategies that bridged the gap between digital and physical commerce.”

  • 1/15/2025

    Michaels names interim CEO team

    michaels store

    The Michaels Companies has named temporary leaders while it continues its search for a new CEO.

    The arts and crafts retailer said that its board has established an interim office of the chief executive officer to provide ongoing leadership continuity following the previously announced departure of CEO Ashley Buchanan on Jan. 14. (As of Jan. 15, Buchanan has taken the reins of Kohl’s Corp., succeeding Tom Kingsbury in the role.)

    Effective Jan. 15, Heather Bennett, president, Stacey Shively, chief merchandising officer, and Perry Pericleous, CFO, have been appointed to lead the interim office. Working together with the other members of the executive leadership team, they will manage the company's day-to-day operations while the board completes the search for a permanent CEO.

    "Heather, Stacey and Perry are experienced, accomplished executive leaders who are well-equipped to ensure the ongoing execution of the company's strategic plan," said Andrew Jhawar, chairman of the board. "At the same time, the board is making great progress on the search for a permanent CEO, the results of which we expect to announce in the near future."

    As president of Michaels, Heather Bennett is responsible for the company's innovation and growth strategy. Since joining in 2021, she has led the company's digital transformation and successfully introduced new strategies to enhance customer experience.

    Stacey Shively, chief merchandising officer, joined Michaels in September 2024. With over 20 years of experience across the retail industry, she is known for her proven ability to maximize opportunities and market trends while driving profitable sales.

    Perry Pericleous, CFO, joined the company in December 2024 and brings 25 years of financial management and operations experience within retail. Prior to Michaels, he served as the CFO of 99 Cents Only Stores.

    Michaels operates over 1,300 stores in 49 states and Canada.

  • 1/15/2025

    Survey: Consumers to dine out less, cook at home more in 2025

    Cooking at home

    With prices and the cost of living remaining high, consumers say they are looking to save money on food by cooking at home more in 2025.

    According to a recent survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of grocery app Flashfood, consumers believe cooking meals at home is not only one of the best ways to save money on food, but also a healthier alternative to takeout or dining out (both 89%). According to the USDA, prices for all food are predicted to increase 1.9% in 2025.

    The survey found that 83% of U.S. consumers report that saving money is a bigger priority in 2025 than it has been in other years. A similar number (81%) of those surveyed said saving money on food is a priority for them this year.

    [READ MORE: States with the lowest grocery prices include…]

    "In light of what we already know, which is that the cost of groceries is going to continue to rise, these findings offer really interesting takeaways for U.S. grocers,” said Nicholas Bertram, CEO of Flashfood. “Consumers are going to focus more on cooking at home as opposed to eating out or ordering from restaurants to save money. This is an opportunity for retailers to think creatively about their tech offerings to make sure they enable the purchase of quality, nutritious and affordable food.”

    According to a recent survey from First Insight, nearly six-in-10 (57%) consumers are worried about a recession in 2025, and 62% of consumers cite price as what will be the most influential factor in their purchasing decisions. 

    Flashfood’s survey was conducted online within the United States from Dec. 17-19, 2024 among 2,089 adults ages 18 and older. 

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