Convenience Stores

Seattle -- Starbucks Coffee Company and HBO will host a free, all-star concert to honor the nations veterans and their families on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to be presented live on HBO on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.

The line-up of performers scheduled to appear at The Concert for Valor include Bruce Springsteen, Eminem, Jamie Foxx, Dave Grohl, Metallica, John Oliver, Rihanna, Carrie Underwood and Zac Brown Band, as well as special appearances by Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, among others.

As part of PepsiCo’s efforts to help drive the U.S. beverage container recycling rate to 50% by 2018, the company is now opening its K-12 school Recycle Rally program to schools across the country.

Deerfield, Ill. – Walgreens and The Western Union Company have launched international and domestic money transfers through a new Western Union stage and pay kiosk model via the Walgreen’s Balance Financial platform. Customers can send or receive money at more than 7,650 Walgreens and Duane Reade locations in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Boston – Drizly, a technology company powering beer, wine and liquor delivery for consumers across the U.S., has launched Drizly.com, its new e-commerce website. Drizly.com serves as an extension of the Drizly smartphone apps for iPhone and Android, which allow consumers to have beer, wine and liquor delivered in 20-40 minutes, using a network of retail delivery partners.

Camp Hill, Pa. - For the four weeks ended Sept. 27, 2014, same store sales increased 5.1% from the prior-year period at Rite Aid Corp. September front-end same store sales increased 2.3%, while pharmacy same-store sales increased 6.3% and same-store prescription count grew 4.4%.

Total drugstore sales for the four-week period increased 4.5% to $2.02 billion, compared to $1.935 billion.

The world’s retail capital is turning it up yet another degree, as a hot landmark project geared toward commuters launches development.

Turnstyle is the reinvention of a span of underground corridor that runs from West 57th St. to the Columbus Circle/59th St. subway. The new iteration, slated for a fall 2015 opening, will feature 26,000 sq. ft. of space divided among more than 30 retail shops and restaurants, ranging from trendy kiosks to 1,000-sq.-ft. storefronts and offering everything from jewelry and cosmetics to grab-and-go food and smart gathering places.

Denver - Wrap & Send Services, a luxury retail packing and shipping solution, is offering professional in-store and warehouse support for the 2014 holiday season. Currently, Wrap & Send Services works with many luxury big-box stores in New York City, as well as 30 cities across the U.S.

Wrap & Send's expert packing and shipping solution help manage the volume, cost, speed and branding standard that is required when shipping from the store.

Denver - Location marketing provider Placeable is predicting that online sales will grow by more than 15% during the 2014 holiday season, compared to the same period the prior year, more than tripling the anticipated 4%-5% growth rate for overall holiday sales. However, Placeable expects more than 90% of holiday sales to take place in brick-and-mortar stores, with 58% of consumers shopping at a national retailer they normally don’t visit.

Other Placeable predictions for the 2014 holiday season include: