Convenience Stores

Kansas City, Kansas — Legends Outlets Kansas City — in Kansas City, Kansas — has announced the addition of three new tenants: Woody’s Automotive, Nail Envy and Bath & Body Works. Each plans to open in this spring.

Woody’s Automotive, a used car concept, will open on May 8 in a 507-sq.-ft. space next to Panera Bread.

Nail Envy, plans to open May 14 in the adjoining shopping center across from Yard House. The salon and spa will occupy a 3,000-sq.-ft. space next to Payless ShoeSource.

Rite Aid posted $2 billion for the four weeks ended April 26, representing a lift of 4.9%. Same-store sales increased 5% over the prior-year period.

April front-end same-store sales increased 4.7%, with 4.6% of the increase attributable to a shift in the timing of Easter, which fell on April 20 this year, compared with March 31 last year. Pharmacy same-store sales, which included an approximate 138 basis points negative impact from new generic introductions, increased 5.2%. Prescription count at comparable stores increased 2.3% over the prior-year period.  

In general, the top acquirers of 2013 logged big gains over 2012

Editor’s Note: The 25th annual Chain Store Age survey of Fastest-Growing Acquirers surveyed retail square footage purchased during the 2013 calendar year.

Lenders are lending again, the equity markets are investing again, and buyers and sellers appear to be moving retail real estate faster than last year — which was a relatively good recovery year.

San Francisco - Revel Systems, has introduced a new hardware and software product bundle aimed at providing technology features for the visually impaired. The inherent touch-screen nature of iPad POS terminals are without tactile qualities, making them not fully accessible and independently usable by the visually impaired.

Canton, Mass. - Dunkin' Donuts, has launched “FinDD Eli”, an interactive on-the-cup instant win game available in the New York metro area. The peel-and-reveal game will be featured on specially marked medium and large iced beverage cups at participating Dunkin' Donuts restaurants, while supplies last

Longtime Hallmark executive Michael Goodwin was named chief information officer at the nation’s largest pet specialty retailer.

Goodwin will become SVP and CIO at PetSmart effective June 2, after previously serving as SVP and CIO of technology and business enablement at Hallmark, a $4 billion company with more than 2,600 stores and an extensive online presence. PetSmart operates 1,333 stores.

Bentonville, Ark. – Wal-Mart is working with Autoinsurance.com to offer customers in Arkanas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas an auto insurance comparison service. AutoInsurance.com provides customers with multiple quotes from national insurance carriers including Progressive, Esurance, Safeco, The General and others within minutes.

Wal-Mart plans to offer the service nationwide in the coming months. The launch of this service stems from a successful pilot that took place in Pennsylvania during 2013.

Houston, Texas — Baker Katz has acquired four retail properties throughout the greater Houston area — in the neighboring cities of Port Arthur, Lake Jackson, Beaumont and Tomball.

The Port Arthur property is a 90,000-sq.-ft., single-tenant building purchased from the Sutherland Lumber Co. for an undisclosed amount. Baker Katz plans to renovate the building and convert it to a multi-tenant space. Hobby Lobby has signed a 58,000-sq.-ft. lease, and Party City has signed a lease for 13,000 sq. ft.