Convenience Stores

Sears Holdings’ Shop Your Way membership program and social shopping community has expanded its rewards program with the addition of more than 50 brand-name partners, which means members will be able to earn rewards through more places than ever.

"Members are already shopping for many of these products and services and now they can be rewarded for it," said Eric Jaffe, SVP of Shop Your Way. "Our goal is to make it easy to earn rewards wherever you shop, and our growing partner network shows we are poised to deliver."

Retail sales generally improved in June, helped by good weather and big discounts as retailers look to clear inventory for the back-to-school season.
 
Costco Wholesale Corp. reported a 6% increase in June same-store sales, helped by higher fuel prices. Its results topped Wall Street estimates.

Excluding the impact of foreign exchange rates and gasoline prices, Costco’s same-store sales increased 6% for the five-week period ended July 6. The metric rose 5% in the United States and 7% overseas.  

Sacramento, California — West Coast shopping center owner/operator Pacific Castle has acquired four Sacramento-area properties for approximately $40 million, signaling an ongoing trend to add to the company’s diversified portfolio.

Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania — Wolfson Group will launch a redevelopment of Hilltown Crossings, a community shopping center with a gross leasable area of 354,458 sq. ft., located on Route 309 at Orvilla Road in Hatfield, Pennsylvania.

Hermosa Beach, California — Regency Centers announced that Torrance Memorial and Hermosa Beach Fish Shop will open at Plaza Hermosa. Torrance Memorial’s new facility is slated to open this fall and will specialize in primary care and pediatrics. 

Barnegat, N.J. — Two long-term lease agreements totaling 6,600 sq. ft. bring retail occupancy to 100% at Bayshore Plaza in Barnegat, New Jersey, according to the 59,000-sq.-ft. property’s leasing and managing firm Levin Management. 

The new tenants include casual Italian restaurant Luigi’s Ristorante and Brick Oven Pizza (2,400 sq. ft.) and non-profit green initiative Greensleeves Boutique (4,200 sq. ft.).

East Peoria, Illinois — McDonald’s Restaurants of Peoria/Bloomington will join the East Peoria Levee District with the opening of a new restaurant in September.

 Local owner-operator Scott Bandy will be overseeing the construction of the restaurant, with plans to include a modern exterior and dual drive-thru lanes. Interior features include a dual-point ordering system with new split counter function, free Wi-Fi, and digital menu boards.

New York -- Uncertainty at the West Coast ports has caused a rush of activity, according to a monthly tracking service.

Import volume at major U.S. container ports is expected to total 1.5 million containers this month, says the Global Port Tracker from the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. That’s the highest monthly volume in at least five years and follows a trend of unusually high import levels that began this spring as labor strife pushed retailers to import merchandise ahead of any potential problems.

New York -- Boxman Studios, a leader in shipping container modification, have created a one-of-a-kind dining and retail venue from shipping containers to anchor Assembly Row, a new mixed-use development in Somerville, Massachusetts, which is just outside of Boston.   

Four modified 20-ft. shipping containers make up SombBlox, an homage to Somerville’s historically industrial past. The four containers create three distinct spaces that are all ADA accessible and include electrical and lighting.

Dallas - 7-Eleven is celebrating its 87th birthday with eight days of free offers, beginning July 11. To receive each day's free offer, a customer must first download and register on the 7-Eleven app.

A customer opens the 7-Eleven app at the store and shows the member barcode to the sales associate at checkout. The barcode appears below the coupons. Once the associate scans the barcode at the register, the customer will receive the item as they check out.