Supermarket/Grocery

The modern case for mixed-use retail
We have a tendency to take things that have been with us forever, reinvent them, and give them new names. Mixed-use centers, for instance, are essentially the 21st century version of downtowns. But whereas America’s towns grew up organically alongside harbors, rivers, and transportation crossroads, mixed-use centers aren’t always able to be so logically placed.
SPECS 2018 Update
Planning is underway for Chain Store Age’s 54th annual SPECS conference, which will be held March 18-20, 2018, at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine (Dallas), Texas. The event will have attendees that are retail and foodservice executives involved in the planning, design, construction and maintenance of stores and restaurants nationwide.

Five Common—and Costly—Omnichannel Mistakes

Brick-and-mortar retailers collectively have staked their claim online, accounting for at least half of U.S. e-commerce sales. The trouble is, most of them are losing money at it.
Omnichannel personalization

With more customer-specific information filtering into retail enterprises, brands are primed to deliver more personalized, seamless experiences. Such efforts not only drive repeat visits and purchases, but also “help retailers to differentiate themselves in the marketplace, and get closer to the customer,” said Tom Moore, industry lead of retail and hospitality at Zebra Technologies.
Not Fake News

Fake news. Or, at the very least, over-exaggerated news. That’s what I call the reports about the death of retail. Retail sales are up $121.5 billion (through the first seven months of the year) and the holiday forecasts look promising, with Deloitte predicting a healthy 4 to 4.5% increase over last season.
AmazonBasics defines online giant’s private-label efforts

Private-label introductions are increasing on a seemingly daily basis, but Amazon-owned products are transforming the marketplace. This was according to “AmazonBasics Spearheads Amazon Private Brands,” research from One Click Retail.
Traditional grocers gaining ground with click-and-collection programs

The nation's supermarket retailers are positioning themselves to capture a significant majority of online grocery sales over the next decade or so. That's according to Joe McKeska, president of Elkhorn Real Estate Partners. He made his remarks during a panel discussion at Marquette University’s annual commercial real estate conference.
Developers: New centers warrant new co-tenancy clauses

With department stores being replaced by gyms and office space, retail tenants who signed on for the traffic generated by traditional anchors are of the opinion that the co-tenancy clauses in their leases need restructuring. At a forum staged by Jones Lang LaSalle at its New York office yesterday, two noted mall developers agreed.
Amazon’s new acquisition becomes data breach target

Cyber-thieves have found their way into Whole Foods Markets’ payment network. The natural foods grocer, which Amazon purchased for $13.7 billion in August, learned that payment card information processed at certain venues within some of its stores, such as taprooms and full table-service restaurants, has been breached. These venues use a different point-of-sale system than the company’s primary checkout systems.
Refinanced Boulder center opens with 90% occupancy

NewMark Merrill Mountain States this week issued a double-barreled press release: It closed on a $62 million refinancing of the Village at the Peaks and opened the Boulder-area center at close to 90% capacity. The $100 million, 442,000-sq.-ft. had been under development for five years in a public/private partnership between NewMark Merrill and the city of Longmont. New financing was provided by Allianz Real Estate of America.
Walmart in ‘brand’ new move against Amazon

Walmart is about to debut a new initiative to bolster its defenses against its biggest rival. The discounter's Jet.com site is launching a higher-end private-label brand of household and grocery essentials. The new brand, called Uniquely J, will launch in the coming months with a curated selection of products that include such essentials as coffee, olive oil, laundry detergent, paper towels, and more. Additional items will be added.
Report: Walmart eyes same-day delivery in New York City

Walmart could be making another bold move in the online delivery game. Speaking at an advertising industry event in New York City on Wednesday, Marc Lore, president and CEO of Walmart eCommerce U.S., said that he expects the chain to offer free, same-day delivery in New York City “very soon,” Bloomberg reported.