Retail

New York -- Whole Foods Market has inked a deal for a new location in the Bryant Park area of Manhattan – on Sixth Avenue between 41st and 42nd Streets.

A Wall Street Journal report, which cited unnamed sources, said that the grocer has agreed to take 10,000 sq. ft. on the ground floor and 22,000 sq. ft. on the second floor at 1095 Sixth Ave., a building owned by a Blackstone Group fund.

New York - Nearly four-in-10 Americans (38%) plan to spend less this holiday season than they did last year, while 14% plan to spend more this year and 47% plan to spend about the same amount as last year. According to a new Bankrate.com report, Americans planning to spend less outnumber those planning to spend more in each age and income group.

New York — Nearly 7,600 attendees packed into the International Council of Shopping Centers New York National Conference and Deal Making, a 9.6% spike over last year and the largest year-on-year increase since 2009.

“The New York Conference acts as a strong bellwether for industry growth in the year to come,” said Michael P. Kercheval, president and CEO of ICSC. “When the conference sees an increase in attendance, the industry grows the following year; if attendance contracts, so too does the industry.”

Giant Food Stores is expanding its partnership with sister company Peapod again, this time with the launch of a new pickup spot at a store in a town near Philadelphia.

Giant-Carlisle and online grocery service Peapod, both banners of Ahold USA, announced the launch of the pickup service in Huntingdon Valley, Pa. The store is the 10th Giant location in Pennsylvania to include a Peapod pickup spot.

New Haven, Conn. -- Sportech Venues, owner and operator of Winners sports bars and OTB in Connecticut, will launch a major new concept in sports entertainment at the Bradley Teletheater adjacent to Bradley International Airport, in Windsor Locks. Construction concludes shortly, with the opening planned for early January 2014.

New York -- Due to the holiday rush and related closings, Chain Store Age has extended the deadline for its 32nd annual Retail Store of the Year Design Competition until Wednesday, January 8, 2014.

More than 20 competition categories are featured, including department stores, supermarkets, discounters, restaurants, convenience stores, specialty stores, service, sustainability and pop-up stores. This year, for the first time, the competition also includes the category of in-store digital innovation.

ABC Supply has named Tony Vaden as chief information officer. He replaces Kathy Hendricks, who moved to a newly created post as executive director of customer connectivity for ABC Supply.

Vaden is an award-winning veteran of the information technology industry, and he will oversee all aspects of the information technology systems that support the company’s computing needs.

Washington, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation issued the following statement from senior VP and general counsel Mallory Duncan in response to U.S. District Court Judge John Gleeson’s approval of a controversial antitrust lawsuit over credit card swipe fees: