Supermarket/Grocery

Chicago — Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa has leased 3,200 sq. ft. at Heritage Plaza in Carol Stream, Ill. This is the fourth Hand & Stone location in the Chicagoland area as the company continues to expand in the region.

Heritage Plaza is a 128,871-sq.-ft. shopping center anchored by Jewel Osco. CBRE www.cbre.com represented the management company, Inland American Retail Management LLC. Baum Realty Group represented Hand & Stone.

By Craig Johnson, president, Customer Growth Partners

New York -- Nearly 90% of Americans repeatedly buy products retailers have on promotion, according to a new survey by Syngera, a global technology startup that uses big data to bring personalized digital experiences to the physical retail store.  In the survey, 85% of respondents said they would return to brick-and-mortar stores when alerted to upcoming sales of previously purchased items.

EMERYVILLE, Calif. -- Whole Food Market will open its seventh San Francisco location — and 31st in the Bay Area — on Nov. 6. The store is the company’s 31st in the Bay Area.

“We’ll have all our regular healthy and über-local food options, plus some cool new services like a shoeshine station, fresh cut-to-order honeycomb, a Paleo bar, an oyster shuck pop-up and a coffee bar close to the entrance, so it’s easy to grab a cup while you’re waiting for the bus,” said Paula Richmond, store team leader.

By James McCandless and Kenneth Katz,  X Team International

The recent government shutdown has analysts scrambling to determine how much damage was done to the national economy. From a retail perspective, understanding the scale and scope of the shutdown requires a more thorough understanding of the issues at play; including a closer look at how retailers responded and a breakdown of how the lingering effects of the partial government closure may impact the holiday sales season.

The ripple effect on retail

Washington, D.C. – 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 experienced broad sales gains during the month, according to the National Retail, 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:

Salisbury, N.C. -- Bottom Dollar Food will open two new stores on Thursday, Oct. 31, one in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, and one in Ambler, Pa., bringing the market total for the discount grocery chain to 43 stores.

The two new stores add approximately 100 jobs to the greater Philadelphia economy. With the addition of the two new locations, Bottom Dollar Food now operates 62 stores in New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Each store is approximately 18,000 sq. ft.

Raymore, Mo. — Sam’s Club has opened its newest club in Raymore, Mo. Relocated from Grandview, the new 136,000-sq.-ft. warehouse club will anchor the Raymore Galleria.

The new club will feature a Fresh Bakery, Tire and Battery Center, Optical Center, Pharmacy, Hearing Aid Center, Café and Fuel Station.

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:

Chicago -- Four of the 10 busiest holiday shopping days will occur between Dec. 20 and Dec. 24, and retailers should prepare accordingly, according to ShopperTrak, a leading provider of shopper analytics. Additionally, with a shortened shopping season and only four weekends between Thanksgiving and Christmas – down from five last year – retailers must be ready to capture holiday spending during a narrower window of time.