Convenience Stores

Retail sales fell in September for the first time in six months, but the decline was credited to a drop-off in auto purchases. Most U.S. retail sectors actually experienced broad sales gains during the month, according to the National Retail Federation, which reported that, excluding automobiles, gas stations and restaurants, retail sales grew a seasonally 0.6% compared to the previous month and 3.8% unadjusted compared to the prior year.

Results of specific sectors include:

Plano, Texas – Pizza Hut is introducing all-new mobile ordering apps and a refreshed mobile website. The new mobile enhancements will enable users to order in less than 30 seconds, will be GPS-enabled to assist in finding the nearest restaurant and will immediately update as new products and deals are introduced.

Canton, Mass. – Dunkin’ Donuts has signed a multi-unit store development agreement with new franchise group, HT2 Franchising, LLC, to develop nine new restaurants throughout Reno, Nev. The first restaurant is expected to open in 2015 and the remainder by 2020.

With this agreement, Dunkin' Donuts franchise opportunities are sold out in Reno, but opportunities exist to grow the brand throughout the West in Colorado and California.

By Nate Dwyer, Red Peak Branding

Washington, D.C. — Divaris Real Estate has announced that Goodwill has signed a 6,954-sq. ft. lease at Divaris-leased Maddex Square Shopping Center in Shepherdstown, W. Va.

Divaris represented the landlord in the lease negotiations. Food Lion and McDonalds anchor Maddex Square.

 

New York -- Fountain Capital and Cheney & Mathes Properties have announced through their partnership, Fountain Mathes I, that they have acquired a 450,000-sq.-ft. portfolio of retail shopping centers with 16 properties in 10 states. Each center is shadow-anchored by Wal-Mart projects.

The centers largely contain national credit tenants such as AT&T, Cato, Dollar Tree, GameStop, Hibbett Sports, Payless and Shoe Show. The portfolio is 95% occupied.

Brentwood, Tenn. — Tractor Supply Co. has announced the opening of its first store in Wyoming. The new store marks Tractor Supply’s continuing expansion in the Western U.S.

The new store in Rawlins opened for business on October 19 and will hold a grand opening event on Oct.26. As of Sept. 28, Tractor Supply operated 1,245 stores in 47 states.
 

New Hyde Park, N.Y. — Kimco Realty Corp. has announced a purchase and sale agreement to acquire a 24-property retail portfolio in New England for $270 million, which includes the assumption of $121.5 million of mortgage debt.

The 1.4-million-sq.-ft. portfolio is 96% occupied. It includes 17 properties in the Boston metropolitan market. Anchor tenants include Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Lowes, Kohl’s, Petco, Pier 1 Imports, Aldi Supermarket, CVS and Walgreens.

Grand Rapids, Mich. -- Meijer announced that it is now operating one of the largest all-clean diesel fleets in North America. As part of its ongoing green initiatives, the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer's fleet utilized innovative technology to improve fuel efficiency and reduce its carbon footprint by nearly 60% since it first began implementing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2010 near-zero emissions standards three years ago.

Pittsburgh – Dick’s Sporting Goods opens five new stores across the U.S. on Nov. 8. The stores will be located in Dover, Del., Palm Desert, Calif., West Des Moines, Iowa, Sioux Falls, S.D., and Findlay, Ohio.

Dick’s will operate a total of 554 stores in the U.S. upon opening the five new stores. The Sioux Falls store will be the chain’s first store in South Dakota. This total will include three in Delaware, 32 in California, five in Iowa, and 38 in Ohio.