Distribution

Ross Dress for Less opened a store in Sevierville, Tennessee, on March 5.

The 25,000-sq.-ft. store is located in Sevierville Commons, 20 miles southeast of Knoxville at the southeast corner of Winfield Dunn Parkway and Old Douglas Dam Road.

The opening is part of the retailer’s 2016 expansion program, totaling about 70 new locations during the year.

Teen retailer Zumiez has enhanced its omnichannel strategy by using its stores as local fulfillment centers for online purchases.

The Lynwood, Washington-based retailer of board-sports apparel and gear wants to ensure customers can seamlessly shop among its 600-plus brick-and-mortar and digital channels. To that end, it has partnered with supply chain management software provider SalesWarp to aid in the performance of distributed order management, customer service, warehouse management, and in-store fulfillment.

Market expansion into the Minneapolis market may be the next step for Meijer, The Grand Rapids Press reported last week, confirming that the grocer acquired 30 acres of land in a Twin City suburb. "I can confirm Meijer has purchased property in Brooklyn Park, Minn.," Frank Guglielmi, Meijer senior director communications, told The Grand Rapids Press.

Ross Dress for Less opened a new store in Port Hueneme, California on March 5.

The 23,000-sq.-ft. foot store is located at Mandalay Village Marketplace, 63 miles northwest of Los Angeles and 40 miles south of Santa Barbara, along Channel Islands Boulevard and Wheelhouse Avenue.

With this location, Ross operates 278 stores in California, its largest state. The opening is part of the retailer’s 2016 expansion program that will see it open some 70 new locations during the year.

Five Below is accelerating new store growth again this year and has shared a long-range profit forecast indicating that the value-oriented teen and tween retailer expects accelerating growth to be a recurring theme.

A net increase of 71 new stores last year – on top of 62 units the prior year – enabled Five Below to increase sales 23.7% to $326.4 million in the fourth quarter and 22.3% to $832 million during the fiscal year ended Jan. 30. Also contributing to the top line growth was a fourth quarter same store sales increase of 3.6% and a full year increase of 3.4%.

Five Below is accelerating new store growth again this year.

The tween and teen retailer shared a long-range profit forecast which indicates it expects accelerating growth to be a recurring theme. It plans to open 85 new stores this year, adding to its base of 437 units.

Starbucks Corp. announced a major initiative to help the nation’s neediest citizens.

The coffee giant is launching FoodShare, a program to donate all leftover ready-to-eat meals from its 7,600 U.S. company-operated stores to food banks. In the first year alone, the program will be able to provide nearly 5 million meals, according to company estimates.

Ross Dress for Less opened a new store in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, on March 5.

The 26,000-sq.-ft. store is located in the Noble Town Center, 15 miles north of downtown Philadelphia, at the northeast corner of Old York Road and The Fairway.

The opening is part of the retailer’s 2016 expansion program, totaling about 70 new locations during the year.