Store Systems

Montclair, Calif. — Gold’s Gym has announced the opening of a location in the newly remodeled Montclair Plaza in Montclair, Calif. The new location will join 11 existing Gold’s Gym Southern California franchise locations. Slated to open April 1, 2014, the 40,000-sq.-ft. facility will feature GGX group exercise offerings, cardio equipment with iPod docking stations, a steam room, Cardio Cinema, towel service, an indoor pool, Jacuzzi and more.

Other recent arrivals at Montclair Plaza include Mina Shoes, Fly and Xtreme.

Boise, Idaho -- WinCo Foods will open a store in Glibert, Ariz., on Dec. 5. The supermarket occupies approximately 97,000 sq. ft. and will include WinCo's new red and black decor package that creates a solid, clean feel and coordinates with the hundreds of new WinCo Foods private label products the company has recently introduced.  

Family Dollar cuts loss with chainwide rollout of RF-based EAS technology

Shrink is an unavoidable fact of life for retailers. But by leveraging electronic article surveillance (EAS) technology that places security tags on items, retailers can minimize the frequency and financial impact of shrink.

New technology makes paying the bill easier than ever for customers

Logic dictates that the easier it is for customers to pay for goods, the more likely they are to purchase them. Long lines, fumbling for cash or a payment card, and even the simple act of waiting for an associate to ring up a sale at a traditional fixed POS terminal are all impediments to converting sales from busy and distracted consumers.

Location: 8801 Queens Blvd., Forest Hills, N.Y.

Size: 445,000 sq. ft.

Developer: Forest City Ratner Cos.

Major tenants: Target, Best Buy, Macy’s Furniture, DSW, Skechers, Outback Steakhouse, Red Lobster

Status: Opened in 2001

Canada's Jean Coutu Group is helping to bolster holiday sales with the launch of its "e-store window" inside the Longueuil Metro Station. Commuters will be able to shop a wall of deals using their smartphones with delivery before Dec. 24. 

Walgreens has opened the nation’s first net zero energy retail store, in Evanston, Ill. (A net zero building produces energy equal to or greater than it consumes.)

The new Walgreens features two wind turbines, nearly 850 solar panels and a geothermal heating and cooling system burrowed 550 ft. into the ground. Combined, the store’s energy-saving technologies and systems are expected to reduce its electricity consumption to 200,000 kilowatt-hours per year, which is about half of an average Chicago-area Walgreens’ store energy footprint.

Chain Store Age recently had the chance to discuss the increasing prevalence of information technology outsourcing (ITO) in the retail industry with Vijay Iyer, senior VP and global head at international technology and services provider HCL America Inc. Iyer explained how outsourcing various IT functions can help retailers better control technology cost and performance.

Is ITO becoming prevalent among retailers?