News Briefs

Firehouse Subs has its sights set on Brazil.

Building on its international expansion, the quick-serve sandwich chain plans to open more than 500 restaurants in 10 years across Brazil. The first restaurant is expected to launch in 2025 and will mark Firehouse Subs’ debut in South America.

The expansion into Brazil is part of a joint venture supported by Firehouse Subs parent company Restaurant Brands International (RBI) in partnership with Iuri Miranda, former CEO and board member of Zamp S.A., master franchisee of Burger King and Popeyes in Brazil. Leveraging RBI's global infrastructure and expertise in digital strategy and international development, combined with its of the Brazilian market, Firehouse Subs aims to capture Brazil's growing sandwich market. In the long term, RBI expects to partner with local investors to fuel continued growth.

Founded in Jacksonville, Fla. in 1994 by two former firefighter brothers, Firehouse Subs has over 1,300 restaurants across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. In 2023, the brand opened the first restaurant outside of North America in Switzerland, followed by Mexico in December. It opened in the UAE and Albania last year. 

"We are very excited to introduce Firehouse Subs to Brazil, a key market in the growing sandwich category, with Iuri Miranda, a longtime industry veteran and partner,” said Thiago Santelmo, president of RBI International. “I believe Firehouse Subs has an exciting runway for growth, and we have set ambitious expansion plans around the world."

Firehouse Subs is a subsidiary of Restaurant Brands International, one of the world's largest quick-service restaurant companies with over $40 billion in annual system-wide sales and over 30,000 restaurants in more than 120 countries and territories. In addition to Firehouse Subs, RBI owns Burger King, Tim Hortons and Popeyes.

(Photo courtesy of Firehouse Subs - CNW Group/Firehouse Subs)

A prescription drug savings platform is providing savings and delivery for pet medications.

GoodRx, which began directly selling and fulfilling orders for eligible prescription and over-the-counter medications online in October 2024, now offers a service it calls “GoodRx for Pets.” 

Using the new service, customers can save up to 80% on medications for pets, including medications for common pet conditions like allergies, anxiety, diabetes, pain, and seizures that are available at more than 70,000 retail pharmacies nationwide.

Pet owners can order medications and have them delivered right to their door. And for the first time, GoodRx users can access pet-specific medications that aren’t available in retail pharmacies via the platform.

In addition, GoodRx offers expert-created articles and videos on pet health.

[READ MORE: GoodRx takes on Amazon, Walmart with discount insulin coupons]

"Pet owners have been using GoodRx for years to save on medications for their beloved pets for conditions like anxiety and seizures - to the tune of several million prescriptions per year,” said Aaron Crittenden, senior VP of Rx marketplace at GoodRx. “It's a pretty strong signal of value when people use your platform for something you haven't actively pursued. So, we decided to build a focused experience for pet owners with a broader range of medications, more savings, and easy access through both pharmacies and home delivery."

Editor's Note: Graphic courtesy of Business Wire.

Ahold Delhaize USA is expanding its digital coupon capacity through a new partnership.

The grocery retail group, whose banners include Food Lion, Giant Food, The Giant Company, Hannaford and Stop & Shop, is teaming up with Inmar Intelligence for its digital coupons, which the company says will give it access to increased capacity for offers and new offer types, increased efficiency and an improved customer experience through more relevant savings.

“Through enhanced capabilities with Inmar, our brands will be well positioned to continue to deepen digital relationships with customers, improve the customer experience and drive efficiency,” said Keith Nicks, chief digital officer for Ahold Delhaize USA. “Advancing our capabilities in the loyalty space, and particularly with digital coupons, is key as we continue to increase overall digital customer engagement and deliver omnichannel growth.”

[READ MORE: New grocery-related laws take effect Jan. 1]

With this transition, Inmar will replace Neptune Retail Solutions (formerly Quotient) as Ahold Delhaize USA’s digital coupon provider. All five grocery brands currently live on the Inmar platform.

“Since our partnerships launched, together we have presented more than $141 million in savings for Ahold Delhaize USA brand shoppers,” said Rob Weisberg, president & executive VP of MarTech Solutions, Inmar Intelligence. “This early success underscores the value to shoppers through seamless access to savings, while enabling Ahold Delhaize USA brands to deepen customer loyalty and drive measurable results at scale. We look forward to continuing to deliver high-quality savings to all Ahold Delhaize USA brand shoppers in 2025.”

Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize operates more than 2,000 stores across 23 U.S. states.

It appears that brick and mortar book stores are having a resurgence.

Barnes & Noble is planning to open about 60 stores in the United States this year, according to a report by the Financial Times. The nation’s largest retail bookseller was acquired by British private equity group Elliott Investment Management in 2019. The all-cash deal was valued  valued at about $683 million. The deal followed Elliott’s 2018 acquisition of Waterstones, the largest retail bookseller in the U.K. 

In 2024, Barnes & Noble opened 57 stores in the U.S., the report said, while Waterstones opened 12 in the U.K. Both chains are headed up by James Daunt, who also owns an independent bookstore chain in the U.K. 

According to the report, Daunt is focused on bringing the IT and finance systems at Barnes & Noble and Waterstones on to one platform. Barnes & Noble currently has approximately 600 U.S. stores.

Cullinan Properties has been busy making significant upgrades to its East Court Village center, and this week has announced three new additions to its tenant roster.

Ross Dress for Less, Marshalls, and Five Below are slated to open this fall in the Pekin, Ill., center, which is less than 10 miles south of Cullinan’s East Peoria headquarters. 

“These retailers will help meet the real-world needs and interests of our neighbors here in Pekin and throughout the region, offering more choice and convenience,” said Diane Cullinan Oberhelman, the founder and chairman of the company. “Our goal is to provide a functional, welcoming environment where people can find what they need all in one place.”

The 750,000-sq.-ft. center is anchored by Hobby Lobby and Petco on Veteran’s Drive in Pekin, a main artery.

“The arrival of these well-known retailers means more shopping options, more convenience, and more employment opportunities right here in our city,” said Pekin Mayor Mary Burress.

Cullinan also announced the signing of Boot Barn and Best Buy at one of its first ground-up retail projects, the 650,000-sq.-ft. Levee District in East Peoria.

 “The addition of these stores is a testament to the growth and vitality of this community,” said Cullinan’s director of leasing, Kathleen Cullinan Brill. “We are especially proud that Best Buy has chosen to remain in the Metro Peoria area, and we look forward to seeing both stores thrive in their new locations.”

Shoppers and retail companies alike are eager to see the expansion of artificial intelligence in the store environment.

According to a new survey from retail services company SPAR Group, seven-in-10 consumers are familiar with the use of AI at the retail locations where they shop, and about half have a positive impression of the technology. Those surveyed said they want the technology to be used for “delivering value and personalization” through in-store coupons, product information, no-stop checkouts and in-store digital assistants.

Younger consumers (between 18 and 54 years old) are more receptive of AI in retail spaces, being more familiar, satisfied and having a more positive impression of AI. They also mention that they would like AI supported in-store digital assistants and personalized shopping lists. Older consumers (55+) are more concerned about AI usage, specifically on privacy and transparency issues, but would like to use AI to get information about products.

The overwhelming majority (95-100%) of retail executives surveyed agreed that AI positively impacts their store’s operations, efficiency, stocking demand, customer service and support with lowering costs.

[READ MORE: IBM survey reveals how retailers are using AI]

“The SPAR AI in Retail Survey reveals strong business cases for the use of AI tools at stores, with both customers and merchants reporting positive outcomes from solutions and applications driven by the technology,” said Mike Matacunas, CEO and president of SPAR Group. “Retailers still need to do a much better job of explaining the benefits of AI to consumers, but both groups are well on their way to an improved shopping/working experience and that will drive growth in the industry.”

SPAR Group fielded a survey through a third-party research firm in December with more than 1,000 consumers and 600 active retail executives.