Retail

Chesapeake, Va. – Shareholders of Dollar Tree re-elected 11 members of the board of directors at the company’s annual meeting on June 20. Arnold S. Barron, Macon F. Brock, Jr., Mary Anne Citrino, H. Ray Compton, Conrad M. Hall, Lemuel E. Lewis, J. Douglas Perry, Bob Sasser, Thomas A. Saunders III, Thomas E. Whiddon, and Carl P. Zeithaml each received a majority of votes to serve another term on the board of directors.

East Rutherford, N.J. -- The Hudson Group is opening 19 new stores at the soon-to-open Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The stores include Bulgari, Emporio Armani, Michael Kors, Coach, Hugo Boss, Bliss, Victoria’s Secret, Tumi, Fred Segak, Kitson, Travel & Leisure, See’s Candies, Virgin/Boost, Pinkberry, Entertainment Weekly News, CNN Newsstand Los Angeles, Angeleno, and Hudson.

Canton, Mass.  -- As part of a brand overhaul, Dunkin’ Donuts is switching its focus from doughnuts and baked goods to coffee and other beverages. At this week’s annual consumer conference hosted by investment banking firm Jeffries, Paul Carbone, CFO of parent company Dunkin’ Brands Group, said beverages accounted for 58% of sales at U.S. franchise locations last year.

“We are a beverage company,” Carbone said. “Fred the Baker is not coming back.”

Cherry Hill, N.J. -- Canadian apparel retailers Dynamite recently opened at Cherry Hill Mall. The 2,800-sq.-ft. store is one of the retailer’s first locations in the United States and it’s first in New Jersey. The fashion-forward retailer has more than 250 stores.

Owned by Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, the 1,306,800-sq.-ft. mall is anchored by Nordstrom, Macy’s and J. C. Penney.

Snyder, Texas -- United Supermarkets’ store in Snyder, Texas, is set to unveil a fresh new look along with added services resulting from a store remodeling effort now under way.  Snyder will be the first store to receive the new décor – as well as the new United logo.

“We are excited about the new look we are introducing this year for our United brand, and we are thrilled to be rolling it out first in our Snyder store,” Monica Schierbaum, senior director of marketing for United Supermarkets.

New York -- A report released Thursday by Bloomberg said that consumer sentiment climbed during the week ended June 16 to minus 29.4, compared with minus 31.3 a week earlier and representing a lift after a two-month low. In fact, according to the Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index, Americans’ views on the economy were the least pessimistic in five years.

The monthly Bloomberg consumer economic expectations gauge for June held at minus 1, matching May’s reading as the best this year.

New York -- Starbucks Coffee Company is raising prices on some of its beverages starting on Tuesday. Prices will rise an average of 1% starting June 25, but will vary slightly in different regions.
   
"Less than a third of beverages will see a small increase in most stores," said Lisa Passe, a Starbucks spokeswoman, in an Associated Press report.

New York  -- Los Angeles is on the fast track to becoming the largest city in the nation to move toward a ban on “single-use” plastic bags after the City Council passed a resolution barring their use in supermarkets, convenience stores and any big retailer, which would include Target and Walmart, that sells groceries.