Retail

San Francisco -- Shoppers will continue to be cautious in their spending in 2014, and they expect to make more money, save more money and afford the things they need. According to a forecast from digital coupon and discount site AnyCodes.com, this is because of a combination of three factors: consumer confidence in the future is climbing, they are focused on investing in themselves and paying off debt, and they are much confident about their job prospects.

New York -- Kmart will shutter two locations in the Philadelphia area this spring, Philadelphia Business Journal said. The locations, at The Gallery and at 900 Orthodox St., will close in late April.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The U.S. convenience store count increased to 151,282 stores as of December 31, 2013, a 1.4% increase (2,062 stores) from the year prior, according to the 2014 NACS/Nielsen Convenience Industry Store Count. Convenience stores account for 34.3% of all retail outlets in the United States, according to Nielsen, which is significantly higher than the U.S. total of other retail channels including drug stores (41,378 stores), supermarket/supercenter (37,459 stores) and dollar stores (24,853 stores).

Hudson’s Bay Company plans to launch a new mobile shopping application for both Hudson’s Bay and Lord & Taylor.

HBC is partnering with Pounce, a consumer-facing mobile app, to integrate traditional media with m-commerce, providing customers the opportunity to purchase merchandise displayed in print media using tablets and smartphones.

According to Pounce, it is the only Hudson’s Bay- and Lord & Taylor-approved mobile app that allows customers to instantly buy products seen in print by simply scanning an image.

Walmart U.S. President and CEO Bill Simon joined 280 of the nation's mayors in Washington, D.C., at the U.S. Conference of Mayors Meeting to announce a new fund for innovation in American manufacturing and a new supplier commitment to bring production of bikes and jobs to South Carolina.

Minneapolis – The Tile Shop is expanding its presence in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area with a new store in Southlake, Texas. The new 18,615-sq.-ft. Southlake location is The Tile Shop’s third store in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex (including stores in Plano and Dallas), and the company’s fifth store in Texas (Dallas, Plano, Southlake, Austin, San Antonio).

Wayfair, the largest online retailer of home furnishings and décor, has appointed Christiane Lemieux as executive creative director.

In her new role, Lemieux, previously founder and creative director of DwellStudio, will provide creative vision and counsel across the company’s growing portfolio of home brands, including Wayfair.com, AllModern, Joss & Main and DwellStudio. Lemieux will be responsible for developing new creative initiatives for Wayfair in the coming year.

Canton. Mass. – Dunkin’ Donuts has signed a multi-unit store development agreement with existing franchise group, OKD Holdings, to develop 13 new restaurants throughout Oklahoma City. The first of the planned restaurants will open in 2015.

Together, this team led by second generation Dunkin' Donuts franchisee Misha Goli and his partners will manage and oversee the company's daily operations for each restaurant. Goli currently owns four restaurants throughout Oklahoma City.