Convenience Stores

Retailer debuts U.S. consumer drone delivery – and it’s not Amazon
The first fully autonomous drone delivery to a customer home has occurred, and the retailer behind it is not who you would expect. Leading convenience chain 7-Eleven partnered with independent drone delivery service Flirtey and the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS) to complete two deliveries from a store in Reno, Nevada on Sunday, July 10. 7-Eleven merchandise, including hot and cold food items, were loaded into a Flirtey drone delivery container and flown autonomously using precision GPS to a local customer’s house.
Coffee giant serves mixed brew in third quarter
Starbucks Corp.’s revenue fell short in the third quarter even as its earnings were in line with expectations. The company posted $5.24 billion in consolidated net sales for the quarter ended June 26, up 7% over the year-ago period, but below analysts’ expectations of $5.33 billion. The increase was primarily driven by the opening of 1,876 net new stores over the past 12 months and a 4% increase in global comparable store sales.

Starbucks takes express store concept over the pond

Starbucks Corp.’s “express” store format made its international debut, in London. Designed for people on-the-go, the store has a welcoming environment with the barista and customer at its heart. Design features include textures of complementary natural wood and marble. It offers a streamlined menu with items displayed on digital menu boards that rotate throughout the day. The open layout allows for an early order point, which allows customers to order, pay and pick-up even faster.
Report: Centers must consider new dining formats and leasing deals

Restaurants now dominate retail for 15% of all sales, a point ahead of grocery for the top area of expenditure. Now it’s time for the special conditions of retail leasing to dominate the minds of shopping centers owners and managers, according to CBRE experts.
The ‘Whole Foods Effect’ shines on

The surge in health-conscious retailers is evident wherever one shops. In the space of a few years, the likes of Lululemon, Fresh Market, and Orangetheory Fitness have proliferated in shopping centers. But Whole Foods, arguably a chief driver of the trend, has transformed its own business as well as that of centers.
Parents police Wisconsin shopping center

A shopping center in a tough neighborhood of Madison, Wisconsin, pays a troop of three parents to keep kids away from stores and cops away from kids. Wearing yellow T-shirts imprinted with “P.O.P,” for Parents on Premises, the local adults interact with teens hanging out at the Meadowood Shopping Center, intervening with those fighting or caught shoplifting on behalf of the center’s owners.
Strip centers post lowest availability rate in years

Available space in strip centers dipped to 11% in the second quarter, the lowest rate for these neighborhood venues since 2008. The reason: omnichannel growth and format experimentation, according to CBRE, which tracked availability across 62 U.S. markets.
Supermarket giant announces exec retirement, promotions

The Kroger Co. on Tuesday announced a series of management changes. The retailer said Bill Breetz, president of its Houston division, will retire effective Aug. 26. Breetz began his Kroger career in 1972 as a bagger in Louisville, Kentucky., and went on to hold several leadership positions at the chain. Marlene Stewart, who currently serves as president of the company's Dillons division, will succeed Breetz.
Bidding war ensues over foreclosed strip mall

Glen Valley Center’s taxable value had fallen to $776,221 since 2013, and the foreclosed, 35,775-sq.-ft. strip center in Caledonia, Michigan, had been the property of Wells Fargo Bank since 2007. So why did the bank walk away with $2.3 million for the center after a bidding war erupted among six buyers? “We have a huge lack of product for investors to put their money in," explained Mark Ansara to mlive.com, which recently ran a report on the sale consummated at the end of June.
Cushman’s Schooler joins SRS as senior VP in Orlando

Cindy Schooler has joined SRS Real Estate Partners as a senior VP in the Orlando, Florida, office directing landlord and tenant representation. She held a similar role with Cushman & Wakefield in Central Florida for the past two years. Schooler has long experience in retail site selection, having spent eight years performing market analysis and negotiating leases for new restaurant concepts with Restaurant Partners in Orlando. She also spent five years as owner of Cynco Properties, a real estate broker.
Ross Stores is having a busy summer

Ross Stores remains among the nation’s most expansion-minded retailers. The company is opening a total of 24 Ross Dress for Less stores and seven dd's Discounts stores across 15 different states in June and July. The openings are part of the company's 2016 expansion plans, which call for the opening of approximately 70 Ross stores and 20 dd's Discounts locations throughout the year.
June retail sales get warmer

U.S. retailers ended spring with a small but notable improvement in financial performance. According to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau, adjusted advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for June were $457 billion. This represents an increase of 0.6% from the previous month, and 2.7% higher than June 2015.