Retail

Whole Foods Market has received an award for deploying cutting-edge, advanced refrigeration technology.   The grocer received the 2015-2016 “Best of the Best” award from the EPA’s GreenChill Partnership for using an advanced, more environmentally sustainable refrigeration system at its store in Dublin, California.  

MOM’s Organic Market started as a produce delivery company based out of the founder’s mother’s garage and has grown into a 16-store grocery chain.     “We carry much more than Trader Joe’s and less than Whole Foods,” founder Scott Nash told The Washington Post.  

It’s shaping up as a busy fall for Ross Stores.   The retailer is opening 25 Ross Dress for Less ("Ross") stores and nine dd's Discounts stores across 16 different states in September and October.   The new locations round out the company's expansion plans to add approximately 90 locations in 2016.  

Many retailers could be forgiven for thinking that their biggest challenge – satisfying the changing expectations of a digital-savvy and fickle customer base – just keeps on getting harder.  

Nearly half of holiday shoppers will hit the stores before Nov. 1 — and many will be looking for deals.   That’s according to a report by RetailMeNot, a digital savings destination connecting consumers with retailers, restaurants and brands, both online and in-store. Seventy-three percent of shoppers said they plan to shop in brick-and-mortar stores this season, and 50% said that the deals they find will help them determine which days to shop in-store.      

The mainstreaming of Manhattan’s once seedy Alphabet City continues apace with the promised arrival of Target on 14th Street and Avenue A.   RKF announced it has concluded a deal for Target to lease 27,000 sq. ft. in one of two seven-story buildings being constructed by Extell Development Company at this location. The mass retailer will occupy 17,700 sq. ft. in the lower level and 9,649 sq. ft. on the ground floor.  

Target Corp. is partnering with a hip design magazine on its new home collection.   The retailer will launch Modern by Dwell Magazine at select stores and online beginning Dec. 27. The collection will include more than 120 items, including furniture, décor, tabletop and home accessories, with products separated into indoor and outdoor collections.       Prices will range from $49.99 to $399.99 for furniture and $16.99 to $99.99 for décor, tabletop and accessories.

Yet another holiday forecast brings more good cheer to retailers.   Consumers plan to spend an average of $636 on holiday-related expenses, up 3% from what they anticipated last year, according to The NPD Group’s 2016 Holiday Purchase Intentions Survey. They are also less concerned this year about the economy spoiling their holiday fun. When asked how the state of the economy will influence holiday purchases in 2016, the 12% who said it will have a “significant impact” is down from recent years (14% in 2015, 19% in 2014).