Retail

Camp Hill, Penn. — Rite Aid will assist customers with prescription insurance coverage issues related to the Affordable Care Act which went into effect Jan. 1, 2014 and help ensure they are able to access prescription medications under their new plans. Rite Aid joins other pharmacy retailers including Wal-Mart and Walgreens in offering prescription assistance.

Youngstown, Ohio — Planet Fitness will open a new 24,000-sq.-ft. health club in The Mall of Monroe in Frenchtown Township, Mich., in March of this year. Planet Fitness boasts 700 locations nationwide and 4.5 million members.

Cafaro affiliated companies (www.cafarocompany.com) own and manage the regional Mall of Monroe.

 

San Francisco -- Custom apparel and accessory provider vPersonalize.com has launched a new full-custom, online store for customers to design and buy their own personalized apparel and accessories.

vPersonalize.com features a Web-based configurator that allows consumers to design directly on a 3-D model of a T-shirt, backpack or bag and get it custom-made almost exactly as seen.

The holiday saw the launch of major consoles, and multichannel videogame retailer GameStop is looking to capitalize by declaring 2014 to be the “Year of Gaming.”

The retailer is offering select items, including console bundles, games and consumer electronics, on sale hoping to lure gamers who didn’t get everything they wanted during the holiday or are looking to use holiday gift cards. The sale runs from now through Sunday, Jan. 5.

Emeryville, Calif. — Jamba Juice Company has entered into a master franchise development agreement with Foodmark, the food and beverage division of Landmark Group, to develop 80 Jamba Juice stores across the Middle East region during the next 10 years. The first Jamba Juice store is expected to open in Dubai in 2014.

Foodmark operates several restaurant concepts and brands in the region.

When U.S. retailers launch global e-commerce efforts, they often start with countries that have a long-standing trade history with America. Shipments to Canada are soon followed by expansion into the United Kingdom, Australia or other English-speaking areas.

Some organizations stick with this strategy — where few barriers to entry, cultural similarities and overall market understanding provide for a “safe” selling environment.

Micro Center, a leading consumer electronics retailer, has entered into a multi-year agreement with the Warranty Group, a leading global provider of warranty solutions and underwriting services, which will allow the retailer to enhance its national Protection Plan program.

Under the new agreement, Micro Center customers will benefit from innovative warranty program solutions and customized services across a broad range of products.

City of Commerce, Calif. — 99 Cents Only Stores opens its first store in Waco, Texas on Thursday, Jan. 9. The new store is approximately 13,000 square feet and will feature a perishable food department, including produce, dairy and frozen foods.

99 Cents Only Stores currently operates 339 extreme value retail stores consisting of 244 stores in California, 45 in Texas, 33 in Arizona, and 17 in Nevada.