Retail

Convenience store operator Wawa is expanding through Florida with a fresh, new prototype whose palette, materials and textures complement the look and feel of the Sunshine state. The use of warm colors and abundant natural light enhance the store’s inviting, upmarket vibe.

The prototype reflects the language and style associated with Floridian architecture. Exterior elements include pastel colors, clapboard siding, pitched roofs and front porches that reference historic south and central Florida building types.

Welcome to Chain Store Age’s Retail RoadTrip, a semi-regular update on cool new stores around the country. For this first outing, here’s a look at six stores creating buzz in the Big Apple.

 1. Alexander McQueen

A desire to improve operational efficiency and capitalize on scale were cited as reasons for several senior level executive moves at Dollar General.

The retailer recently surpassed 11,000 units and chairman and CEO Rick Dreiling said the enhanced management structure involving Todd Vasos and David D’Arezzo would align the company for continued future growth.

Three ways to beat showrooming

Showrooming, much like many other perceived threats in retail, must be seen as an opportunity, not as a negative. Arguably, the challenges that showrooming has created for retailers are relative to price transparency and finding a place and role within the consumer’s mind that will be superior to the online retailer (remembering that many online retailers can offer broader assortments, 24/7 convenience and shopping accessibility).

New York — Faith Hope Consolo, chairman, and Joseph Aquino, executive VP of Douglas Elliman’s Retail Group have arranged a multi-level Soho flagship for Alice + Olivia By Stacey Bendet at 98 Greene Street between Spring and Prince Streets.

J. Crew consumers can now take advantage of MasterCard’s digital wallet service, MasterPass, at checkout. The digital wallet service enables shoppers to use any payment card or enabled device to unlock a simplified and speedier checkout experience regardless of where they are.