News Briefs

A made-to-measure suit company and a leading department store are expanding their partnership.

Indochino and Nordstrom have announced the opening of five new Indochino shop-in-shops in Nordstrom stores, bringing the total to 33 nationwide. The companies say that the expansion of the concept, which launched in 2021, reinforces the brands' “shared commitment to personalized style and exceptional customer service.” 

At the shop-in-shops, shoppers can make a personalized appointment with an Indochino "style guide" and have their measurements taken. After selecting from hundreds of options, garments are delivered to the customer's home in approximately three weeks. Complimentary simple alterations are also available through Nordstrom's tailoring services.

The new Indochino shop-in-shops at Nordstrom are located at:

• Aventura Mall, Aventura, Fla.;
• Boca Raton, Fla.;
• Park Meadows, Lone Tree, Colo.;
• Woodfield, Schaumburg, Ill.; and
• Southcenter Mall, Tukwila, Wash. (near Seattle).

"We are thrilled to bring our made‑to‑measure experience to these exciting new Nordstrom locations," said Drew Green, president and CEO of Indochino, which launched in 2007 and operates nearly 60 showrooms. "This expansion reflects the continued success of our collaboration and growing consumer demand for personalized fashion – from Aventura and Boca Raton to Woodfield and Southcenter, we're delivering quality tailoring with accessibility and ease."

[READ MORE: Nordstrom Rack adds eight new stores to 2026 lineup — here are all the locations]

Founded in 1901, Nordstrom operates more than 350 Nordstrom, Nordstrom Local and Nordstrom Rack locations nationwide.

Photo: Indochino at Nordstrom (CNW Group/Indochino Apparel Inc.)

Wakefern Food Corp. is expanding its portfolio.

Wakefern, the nation’s largest retailer-owned cooperative, has entered into an agreement to acquire New York City supermarket chain Morton Williams, which runs 17 stores in the metropolitan area, with 15 in Manhattan, one in the Bronx and one in Jersey City, N.J. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Wakefern will retain the Morton Williams name. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wakefern, the acquired stores will have an emphasis on fresh prepared foods, produce and Wakefern’s private label brands.

Morton Williams was founded in 1952 by brothers Joe and Irving Sloan. Joe’s sons, Morton and William, expanded the business to supermarkets in the New York City area, and in the 1970s began opening “reimagined” supermarkets under the Morton Williams name with kitchens, chefs and a focus on fresh prepared foods. The business is currently led by the third generation of Sloan members.

The Food Partners, headquartered in Washington, D.C., served as financial and strategic advisor to Wakefern during the transaction.

Wakefern members includes more than 360 grocery stores in nine states across a variety of banners that include ShopRite, Price Rite, The Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market, Gourmet Garage and Fairway Market.

Consumer Cellular is doubling down on its retail footprint.

The company, which describes itself as the first wireless provider “unapologetically built for Americans 50+,” recently opened its 50th store, in Boardman, Ohio. Consumer Cellular, which opened its first company-owned store in November of 2022, has targeted reaching 100 locations by 2026. The company's real estate focus is on strip centers with easy ingress/egress.

Consumer Cellular stores offer shoppers hands-on shopping and in-person support, along with free coffee and snacks. Customers can also participate in learning sessions on phone functions and features, popular apps and more.

The company’s expansion comes as tier 1” wireless providers reduced the total number of retail outlets by nearly 1,000 locations from May 2022 through May 2024, according to industry analysis from IQ Metrix and Wave 7 Research.

“More than 4 million subscribers trust us for simple, affordable plans and top phone brands, with great coverage and award-winning customer support,” said Ed Evans, CEO of Consumer Cellular. “We’re building on the popularity of the award-winning, person-to-person support we provide through our 100% U.S.-based customer call centers, by bringing a friendly, helpful, in-person customer experience to neighborhoods throughout the U.S.”

Based in Scottsdale, Ariz., Consumer Cellular ranked #1 in network coverage and customer satisfaction among wireless carriers by American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). 

Costco Wholesale Corp. kept up its momentum in July amid strong e-commerce and international growth. 

The membership warehouse retailer reported that its sales rose 8.5% in July (the four weeks that ended on Aug. 3.) to $20.89 billion compared with an 8% year-over-year gain for June. Net sales for the first 48 weeks increased 8.1% to $248.35 billion.

Costco's total company comparable store sales in July rose 6.4%, with U.S. comps up 5.5% and Canada comps up 7.6%. Other international comps rose 9.5%. E-commerce comparable sales surged 15.1%.

Total comparable sales in July excluding the impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange increased 7%, with U.S. comps up 6.5% and Canada comps up 9.1%. Other international comps rose 7%.

[READ MORE: Costco reports strong June amid international, e-commerce growth]

Costco currently operates 910 warehouses, including 626 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 110 in Canada, 41 in Mexico, 37 in Japan, 29 in the United Kingdom, 20 in Korea, 15 in Australia, 14 in Taiwan, seven in China, five in Spain, two in France, two in Sweden, and one each in Iceland, and New Zealand. The company also operates e-commerce sites in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Australia.

Seven & i Holdings Co. Ltd. has launched what it calls the “transformation of 7-Eleven,” and it includes investments in stores and expansion.

The Japanese retail giant is embarking on the strategy following the failed takeover attempt by Canadian retailer Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. In July, Couche-Tard, whose banners include Circle K, withdrew its $46 billion proposal to acquire Seven & i Holdings Co., citing a “lack of constructive engagement” by the Japanese company.

The new initiative includes the opening of 1,300, larger-format 7-Eleven convenience stores in North America (200 stores annually) and 1,000 stores in Japan through the year ending February 2031. (Seven & i Holdings Co. first announced its expansion plans it its fourth-quarter earnings presentation.)

“Sustaining success requires constant reinvention and innovation,” the company said in its transformation plan. 

The company has identified negative consumer perceptions around fresh food as one of its key challenges and, as such, said it will invest in stores and equipment to create a “distinctive” food offering to address the need to "draw customers with more differentiation.” As part of the strategy it plans to add 1,100 restaurants by 2030.

Seven & i owns and operates more than 85,000 7-Eleven stores globally. It has more than 9,300 stores in the United States under the 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes brands

Brookshire Grocery Company (BGC) is modernizing its fresh operations, moving away from static, legacy ordering systems to a faster, more connected digital experience.

The company will roll out Afresh’s AI-powered platform across its four banners: Brookshire's, Super 1 Foods, Fresh by Brookshire's and Spring Markets. The store ordering and inventory management solution will be deployed in the across the deli, produce, and market (meat and seafood) departments.

BGC was looking for a solution to improve in-stock conditions and item freshness, strengthen store execution and tailor assortment to local customer demand. Afresh stood out for its built-for-fresh technology that utilizes AI to address the complexities of perishable products such as variable demand, short shelf life and complex data. 

The solution equips store teams with intuitive tools that streamline forecasting, ordering, and inventory management while reducing waste, improving in-stock conditions, delivering fresher food, and driving measurable results.

"At Brookshire Grocery Company, we are deeply committed to delivering the freshest, highest-quality products to our customers," said Brad Brookshire, chairman and CEO for BGC. "Partnering with Afresh allows us to harness the power of AI to elevate our fresh departments and ensure smarter, more efficient operations across our stores. This collaboration is a huge step forward in our journey to innovate the fresh supply chain and enhance the shopping experience for every customer we serve."

Based in Tyler, Texas, Brookshire Grocery Company operates more than 215 stores operating under the Brookshire's, Super 1 Foods, Fresh by Brookshire's and Spring Market banners across Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma.