News Briefs

Paul Kurzawa, a 20-year veteran of the commercial real estate and entertainment industries, has taken over as president of Centennial, owner-operator of malls such as MainPlace in California and Liberty Center in Ohio.

Most recently the COO of CenterCal properties, Kurzawa ended a seven-year stint at Caruso in 2013 in that same position. From 2013 to 2016, he served as the global head of retail development at DreamWorks animation. 

“Paul has deep industry experience – both mall and open-air,” said Dallas-based Centennial’s founder and CEO Steven Levin. “He also has excellent industry relationships and a wealth of operations expertise, making him the right choice to lead Centennial forward.”

He replaces Whitney Livingston, who has moved on to the International Council of Shopping Centers as its COO. 

“Whitney has been instrumental in helping us acquire, transform, and create some of the most dynamic destinations in retail real estate,” said Levin . “She has grown our portfolio, elevated our talent pool, and bolstered profits for our own organization as well as those we manage for others. Whitney will be sorely missed.”

An app that connects shoppers with fresh produce, meat and other groceries at up to 50% off has been redesigned.

Flashfood is releasing version 3.0 of its app, which offers deals on groceries nearing their sell-by date with the goal of diverting food waste from landfills. New and revised features include a refreshed onboarding process, as well as a new map screen that lets users browse multiple stores in one view, with vertical and horizontal scrolling.

A new card-style display also makes it easy to compare deals at different stores at a glance. In addition, a single React Native codebase that replaces previous separate Android and iOS codebases.

This enables Flashfood to develop and update both iOS and Android apps more efficiently while providing a consistent experience across platforms and enabling faster delivery of new features the future. 

A simplified SNAP EBT payment method provides a clear SNAP EBT subtotal on the checkout screen to make it easier to track budget before paying. Retailers operating in the grocery space that have piloted and deployed Flashfood in the past few years include Save Mart Companies, Giant Food, Meijer, Hy-Vee and SpartanNash.

"Our customers have been asking for a new Flashfood app for a long time and we could not be more excited to deliver it," said Jordan Schenck, president and COO at Flashfood. "Our growth and success to-date have not been because our app was the best in the business, but because we deliver real value for our shoppers. Moving forward, Flashfood will offer both: affordable, fresh groceries through an excellent app experience.”

The new Flashfood app is now available on the Apple Store and Google Play.

Publix reported gains in earnings and sales for its third quarter.

Net earnings increased 31.7% to $1.1 billion for the quarter ended Sept. 28, compared to $833 million in 2023. Earnings per share increased to $0.33 per share, up from $0.25 per share in 2023.  

Sales rose 4.9% to $14.6 billion. Comparable store sales increased 3.4%. The company estimates sales for the quarter increased 0.6% due to the impact of Hurricane Helene.

“During the last several weeks, many of our associates and customers have faced difficult times with Hurricanes Helene and Milton,” said Publix CEO Kevin Murphy. “I’m so proud of our associates for the comfort they bring to our customers and their fellow associates.”

Effective Nov. 1, Publix’s stock price increased from $16.46 per share to $18.05 per share. (Publix stock is not publicly traded and is made available for sale only to current Publix associates and members of its board of directors.)

The grocer's sales for the nine months ended Sept. 28, 2024 were $44.2 billion, a 4.3% increase from $42.4 billion in 2023. Comparable store sales for the nine months increased 2.5%.

Publix, the largest employee-owned company in the U.S. with more than 255,000 associates, currently operates 1,383 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky.

Fashion retailer Lacoste is utilizing a new AI tool to help spot counterfeit products.

The France-based retailer has partnered with Cypheme, a French technology company, to deploy Vrai AI, an anti-counterfeit technology that can detect fake products based on just a picture of a specific detail of a product or label through visual analysis. Lacoste is the first company to utilize the technology, according to Cypheme.

The technology, which will be used by employees in Lacoste’s warehouses, examines microscopic visual details of a specific feature of the product and can differentiate a real from a fake, in a similar way to how a human expert would. For Lacoste, Cypheme’s Vrai AI tool uses the famous crocodile logo to identify fake items among a wide variety of Lacoste products.

[READ MORE: Four Ways AI is Humanizing the Retail Experience]

“Today, according the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, counterfeiting represents 2.5% of the world’s trade, or $461 billion, and puts low-quality goods on the market, generating risks for health, well-being, security and safety,” said Hugo Garcia-Cotte, CEO of Cypheme. “Implementing anti-counterfeiting technologies helps brands combat piracy, secure operations, enhance revenue and improve customer engagement, however they do not stop at just that, they have a much larger impact, helping shape safer societies overall.” 

Founded in 1933, Lacoste operates 76 stores in the United States.

A prescription drug savings platform is now directly selling and fulfilling orders for eligible prescription and over-the-counter medications online.

This new GoodRx capability enables consumer health and pharmaceutical brands to integrate their offerings directly within the the company’s platform. Previously, customers could only purchase prescription medications with a GoodRx discount via a partner pharmacy retailer.

In addition, GoodRx, which reduces prices on nearly 200 prescription medications by an average of 40%, is entering the over-the-counter medication market for the first time with non-prescription contraceptive provider Opill.

"We are thrilled to launch our e-commerce solution with Opill, an initiative that underscores our mutual commitment to more accessible healthcare," stated Dorothy Gemmell, chief commercial officer at GoodRx. "This new feature will provide patients with a simple, seamless way to obtain their eligible medications, building on how GoodRx has already made prescription medications more affordable and accessible for millions of consumers. It also paves the way for other OTC brands and pharma partners to leverage our platform’s reach to expand market presence, increase consumer access to essential medications and ultimately help drive growth."

GoodRx partners with drugstore retailers including Walgreens. The company also collaborates with diabetes care provider Sanofi to offer access to Lantus (insulin glargine injection) 100 Units/mL in the U.S. for a discount price of $35 for a 30-day supply, directly competing with reduced-cost insulin programs offered by Amazon and Walmart. 

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

An Atlanta-based quick-serve chain is planning to grow its footprint in the City of Brotherly Love.

Zaxbys, known for its chicken fingers, wings and signature sauces, has announced a franchise agreement to open 10 locations in the Philadelphia area over the next five years. The first two are slated to open next year.

"The chance to bring Zaxbys to Philadelphia is both exciting and meaningful," said George Abdelmessieh, a seasoned franchise owner who also operates over 30 Dunkin’ locations across southern New Jersey and Philadelphia. "I recognize that Zaxbys is a strong brand with an excellent product. These values align with the principles I've relied on to build my other franchise businesses. Bringing Zaxbys to Philly is something I'm building not only for my community, but also for my family, creating a legacy I hope will benefit my children and grandchildren."

Abdelmessieh said he was drawn to Zaxbys by his daughter, who experienced the chain while studying at Emory University in Atlanta. He and his team are currently securing sites across the Philadelphia area in preparation for next year's openings. 

The expansion in Pennsylvania is just the latest East Coast growth for Zaxbys. Also this month, the recently announced plans to enter two new states: Maryland and New Jersey. 

"Zaxbys is thrilled to enter the Philadelphia market, and we couldn't ask for a better partner than George to lead the way," said Mike Mettler, chief development officer of Zaxbys. "George's decades of experience and dedication to building strong franchise operations make him the perfect fit to introduce our brand to Philadelphia. We're excited to see the impact his leadership will bring."

Founded in 1990, Zaxbys operates over 950 locations in 17 states.