Retail

If any retail CEO is going to endorse a candidate in this year’s presidential race, Howard Schultz would certainly rank at the top of the list.  

Wayfair is making it even easier for shoppers to purchase home furnishings and décor from their mobile devices.  

Casey’s General’s Stores on Tuesday detailed an aggressive store expansion and renovation schedule along with record earnings for its first quarter.   The Iowa-based chain expects to build or acquire 77 to 116 stores, replace 35 existing locations, and complete 100 major remodels in its current fiscal year. Currently, it has 39 new stores under construction, including its first store in the state of Ohio.  

Shoptalk, the nex-gen retail and e-commerce event, has named Sucharita Mulpuru, as chief retail strategist. The company is also expanding with a new networking program.   

Swiss watchmaker Breitling opened its boutique at Westfield World Trade Center in New York and promises to make it an all-senses experience for shoppers.  

Eloquii, a fast-growing, plus-size women’s fashion apparel manufacturer and online-only player, has expanded its executive team with two experienced retailers.    The retailer named Michael Concannon as chief technology officer. He most recently served as CTO of Quidsi, an Amazon-owned e-commerce company where he oversaw long-term technical strategy and maintained technical leadership for the entire platform of six sites including diapers.com.    

It was already generating $700 per square foot in revenue, but Broadway Plaza in San Francisco’s East Bay got a complete makeover from owner Macerich that was unveiled last week. Fireworks and a performance by Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray accompanied the ribbon-cutting.   Gross leasing area was expanded to beyond 900,000 sq. ft. and more than 50 new stores inhabit the open-air center that debuted in 1951. Nordstrom, Neiman-Marcus, and Macy’s anchor the plaza that Macerich has owned for the last 30 years.