News Briefs

Meijer is set to open another small-format, neighborhood market grocery store in its home state.

The retailer will unveil Independence Market on April 30. Located in Clarkston, Mich., the 50,000-sq.-ft. store is intended to serve customers from Clarkston and all of Independence Township.

Independence Market will feature a large assortment of grocery items, including fresh meat and deli items, fresh produce, pet food and supplies, health and beauty items. It will carry Meijer and national brand items, as well as thousands of local products

Additionally, the store will feature a floral and gift shop, bakery, and a cafe space offering coffee and Latin street food from local favorite Honcho.

Independence Market is similar to other small-format neighborhood market stores Meijer has opened under various banners in Michigan, including Bridge Street Market in Grand Rapids, Capital City Market in Lansing and Rivertown Market in Detroit.

"Independence Market is committed to serving our new neighbors with value and convenience that makes it easy to get in and out quickly," said Independence Market store director Robert Lajcaj. "Our team has been working hard to get the store ready to open with a great assortment of local and national brand products and we can't wait to welcome our neighbors next month."

[READ MORE: Meijer expanding in May — here’s where]

Based in Grand Rapids, Mich., Meijer operates more than 500 supercenters, grocery stores, neighborhood markets, and express locations throughout the Midwest.

Walmart is jumping into Easter with promotions that include a holiday feast.

The retail giant said its Easter meal can feed a table of eight for less than $6 per person, which is about $2 cheaper than last year, when Walmart priced its holiday meal at less than $8 per person. Available through April 20, the meal features 11 items, including a spiral cut brown-sugar ham, potatoes, several vegetables, rolls and a cake.  

Walmart is also offering two “one-click” Easter baskets, with one under $20 and the other under $40. The baskets are filled with candy, on-trend toys and accessories.

The company is also offering savings on Easter-related décor and dinnerware, fresh flowers, special toys and fashions for the holiday.

[READ MORE: Walmart Super Savings Week returns]

“We’re proud to uphold our Every Day Low Price promise while also delivering extra special savings for customers’ must-win holiday celebrations, like we’re doing with our Easter meal priced even lower than last year,” said John Laney, executive VP, food, Walmart U.S. “Our customers are seeking more opportunities to save, and we’re committed to helping them do just that with consistently low prices every day, no matter when, where or how they shop.”

Darden Restaurants is expanding the footprint of three of its brands in the Lone Star State.

The parent company of Olive Garden, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, LongHorn Steakhouse, and more, is opening five new locations in the greater Houston area. All leases were represented by commercial real estate brokerage firm Baker Katz.

Darden will soon open two new Olive Garden locations in the Houston area. The first Olive Garden lease is a 7,805-sq.-ft. restaurant in Portland, Texas, opening in the second quarter of this year. The second lease is a 7,825-sq.-ft. location at The District in Edinburg, Texas, set to open in 2026.

Darden is expanding its store count for Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, also with two new leases. The first is a 6,142-sq.-ft. location in Donna, Texas, under construction with an opening scheduled for the third quarter of this year. The second Cheddar's restaurant is located in North McAllen, Texas at Trenton North Shopping Center, and is expected to open in the fourth quarter.

Finally, Darden has opened a new LongHorn Steakhouse location in fast-growing Baytown, Texas, which opened a month ago as an addition to the Baytown Market shopping center.

[READ MORE: Darden Restaurants to acquire Chuy’s for $605 million]

“We are proud to support Darden Restaurants and their mission to expand throughout the Lone Star State,” said Traci Holman, broker at Baker Katz. “Darden continues to prosper across Texas, bringing its well-established and growing brands to numerous markets with multiple dining options for guests.”

As of Feb. 23, 2025, Darden operated 2,165 restaurants. The company’s portfolio of brands includes Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Yard House, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, The Capital Grille, Chuy's, Seasons 52, Eddie V's, and Bahama Breeze.

The Paper Store has opened the second location of its new retail format — with more to come.

The specialty gifts retailer’s new Uncharted banner, which debuted in November 2024 at The Shops at Oak Brook Place in Oak Brook, Ill., has opened a 10,782-sq.-ft. store at Green Cove Plaza in Greenvale, N.Y. Six additional Uncharted locations are slated to open in Illinois in 2025 as part of Paper Store’s $60 million investment in new and existing stores over the next four years.

At 10,782 sq. ft., Uncharted features a constantly changing assortment of fashion, accessories, jewelry, beauty and more, as well as home décor and toy departments, with brands that include Stanley, Birkenstock, Free People, and Kendra Scott. Additionally, the Greenvale location will provide unique in-store experiences, including ear piercing and regular pop-up events.

Compared to The Paper Store, Uncharted stores focus more on trending brands, in-store experiences and a lifestyle-first merchandising approach, according to a company spokesperson.

"Greenvale's vibrant community made it the perfect choice for Uncharted's East Coast debut," stated Tom Anderson, president and CEO of The Paper Store. "The enthusiastic response from customers at our Illinois store has been a strong driver of our expansion.”

[READ MORE: Paper Store launches $60 million expansion plan; debuts new retail concept]

The Paper Store currently operates 100 stores, with with several new locations being added in 2025 in the Northeast.

Sally Beauty shoppers now can have beauty products delivered straight to their door via Uber Eats.

The beauty retailer, which specializes in hair color and care products, has partnered with the delivery service to provide on-demand delivery. The partnership marks Uber Eats’ first national beauty partnership.

“At Uber Eats, we’re constantly looking for new ways to meet our customers’ needs,” said Hashim Amin, Uber’s head of retail in North America. “Partnering with Sally Beauty brings professional-grade beauty products straight to consumers on-demand – making high-quality hair and beauty care more accessible than ever.”

Sally Beauty customers can now select from over 7,000 products, including hair color, hair care products, and items for skin and nails from proprietary brands, and have them delivered directly to their doorstep. Uber Eats users simply add items to their cart, choose a delivery time, and place the order.

“At Sally Beauty, our customers want access to their favorite products exactly when they need them – whether it's for a last-minute nail look or an at-home hair color refresh,” said Natalie Lockhart, group VP of strategy, customer insights & digital experience at Sally Beauty Holdings. “Being the first beauty retailer to partner with Uber Eats allows us to take convenience to the next level, further expanding our same-day delivery reach nationwide, making our quality products more accessible than ever before.”

[READ MORE: Sally Beauty, Instacart launch same-day delivery]

Founded in 1964, Denton, Texas-based Sally Beauty operates more than 3,700 stores worldwide.

Global value fashion retailer Primark is continuing its expansion in the United States – this time in the South.

Primark is expanding its footprint with three new store leases in Texas (The Parks Mall, Arlington), South Carolina (Haywood Mall, Greenville) and Georgia (Augusta Mall, Augusta). Spanning 96,400 sq. ft. of retail space across the three stores, the new locations mark the retailer’s entrance into South Carolina and Georgia. 

[READ MORE: Primark expanding in Virginia, Maryland — here’s where]

"We are proud to introduce Primark to South Carolina and Georgia for the first time, while also strengthening our presence in Texas, on the heels of our first opening in the state late last year," said Kevin Tulip, president of Primark US. "These expansions reflect our commitment to bringing Primark's unique combination of style, quality, and affordability, to even more shoppers in the US. We look forward to becoming part of these communities and providing families with a wide selection of fashion, beauty, and accessories at unbeatable value."

Primark operates nearly 30 stores in the U.S. across 12 states, with plans to reach 60 locations here by the end of 2026. The company has signed a lease for its first Manhattan storefront, a 54,000-sq.-ft. flagship in the Herald Square neighborhood. It also has signed several leases in Texas.

Primark is known for its budget prices, with denim starting at $10 and T-shirts at $4.50. It also features an extensive selection of licensed products, with collections such as Netflix, Disney and Marvel, as well as location-specific NBA and NFL apparel.

Founded in Ireland in 1969 under the Penneys brand, Primark operates 450 stores globally. The company is owned by Associated British Foods.