News Briefs

The Container Store has made two additions to its executive leadership team.

The specialty retailer of organizing solutions, custom spaces, and in-home services, has promoted , Lindy Rawlinson, executive VP of e-commerce and digital marketing, to chief digital officer. 

Rawlinson joined The Container Store in 2021 with more than 20 years of experience in digital retail. In her new role, she will oversee both e-commerce and marketing, including creative, traditional and digital media, loyalty, social media and public relations functions. 

In addition, Jennifer Pape, VP of stores, has been promoted to senior VP of stores.  She joined the company in 2015 and has held several leadership positions managing store operations and customer experience.

As senior VP of stores, Pape will continue to oversee the Container Store’s expanding store fleet and have an increased focus on Custom Spaces business areas. Her responsibilities will include managing and developing the Custom Spaces customer experience as well as the company’s  in-home design service, which drove more than 85% of premium Custom Spaces sales in the second quarter.

In December, Container Store opened its 100th location, in Princeton, N.J. The opening is in line with the retailer’s strategy to expand its reach as part of its $2 billion revenue goal. 

“By bringing eCommerce and marketing together under Lindy, we will be able to tell a more cohesive brand story, specifically our differentiated offering of Custom Spaces and general merchandise,” said CEO and president Satish Malhotra. “Jen has done a fantastic job leading our store fleet and I am proud of the work she has already done to improve our Custom Spaces conversion rates. I’m confident in the executive leadership team we have in place as we continue to make progress on our path to $2 billion in revenue.”

The world’s biggest golf green is coming to Greensboro.

Topgolf has announced it will build a new venue in the North Carolina town, one exit from the I-40 and I-73 Interchange. It will be part of a large shopping center development currently under construction there.

Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan is teed up for its arrival.

"It’s a hole-in-one decision,” Vaughan gushed. “This is another example of how we are able to diversify the types of companies investing in our community, while supporting the Council's priority of being a hub of recreation and entertainment."

Topgolf Greensboro will have 72 outdoor climate-controlled hitting bays spanning two levels. Private event rooms will be available for outings and other gatherings.

"It's exciting to officially announce that construction efforts are underway on our Greensboro venue since there's been buzz about it for more than a year,” said Topgolf’s chief development officer Chris Callaway. “We can't wait to welcome residents and visitors of Greensboro and the surrounding communities and introduce them to what our unique style of play is all about."

The Greensboro venue puts the Callaway Brands company close to 100 locations worldwide. It is scheduled to open in late 2024.

Topgolf to open in Greensboro in 2024

The Container Store sees plenty of whitespace for continued store expansion. 

The specialty retailer of organizing solutions, custom spaces and in-home services, has opened its 100th location, in Princeton, N.J. The opening is in line with Container Store’s strategy to expand its reach as part of its $2 billion revenue goal. 

The Princeton location is the sixth small-format store the company has opened since it debuted the concept in September 2022, at The Promenade Shops at Briargate, Colorado Springs, Col.  It is one of five anticipated to open in Container Store’s current fiscal year, which ends March 30, 2024. 

The stores, which average 12,500 sq. ft., feature  a full “Custom Spaces Studio” featuring the Preston, Avera and Elfa lines and a curated assortment of complementary general merchandise. They also offer in-home services. Many of the locations are also built-to-suit, making them an appealing financial proposition, according to the Container store.

“Opening our 100th store is a significant milestone as we execute our strategic priority of Expanding Our Reach and continue to unlock our long-term growth potential,” said CEO and president Satish Malhotra. “We continue to be pleased with the productivity of our small-format stores, specifically with the faster adoption of Custom Spaces, which is a key component of future sales growth for The Container Store. At the end of  second quarter, this adoption was averaging 39% of sales per store.”

 In addition, the company saw an average of over 60% new customers shopping in the smaller-store locations, added Malhotra.

The Company’s next store opening is slated for Gaithersburg, Md.

Caribou Coffee has opened its first location in Florida — with more to come.

The coffee chain, part of Panera Brands, has opened a store in St. Petersburg,  the first of many locations that Caribou Coffee said it intends to open in the state. Featuring indoor and outdoor seating and costal-inspired designs, the shop is owned and operated by Wake Up 727,  which has signed a multi-unit franchise agreement with Caribou. 

 In addition, the company signed development agreements with Kevin Ricci, owner of Covelli Family Partnership, and Sam Covelli, CEO of Covelli Enterprises, to deepen the brand’s roots throughout Florida.

Earlier this year, Caribou announced the signing of several multi-unit development agreements to franchise more than 300 new locations across the U.S. (The company aunched its first-ever domestic franchise program in October 2021.)

As of Sept. 26, 2023, Caribou Coffee has 329 company-owned, 139-non-traditional and 310 franchise locations iin 11 countries.

Brooks Brothers is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to drive e-commerce growth.

The apparel retailer is implementing AI and ML technology from Metrical in an effort to convert more e-commerce customers by predicting online shopper behavior with its new intelligent solutions.

Metrical's AI/ML models operate anonymously and use no personally identifiable information (PII), which Brooks Brothers intends to help ensure that customer experiences remain private.

"For over 200 years, Brooks Brothers has appealed to consumers that expects impeccable service and a hassle-free experience to go along with our style, quality and craftsmanship of our merchandise," said Katherine Yoo, senior director of e-commerce at Brooks Brothers. "Metrical's AI solution understands this mindset and is able to provide the type of personalized experience our customers expect without them having to sacrifice privacy. This enhances our brand and contributes to the loyalty our customers show."

"At just a pure monetary level, abandonment is no different than revenue leakage,” said Zabe Agha, founder and CEO of Metrical. “It's money you had in hand and lost. On top of that, retailers continuously spend several times over, attempting to lure bounced shoppers back with discounts that further raise costs and reduce margins. It's like being stuck in Groundhog Day - nothing changes or improves until you take a more intelligent approach."

Other retailers employing Metrical AI technology include Dick’s Sporting Goods, which dynamically targets individual online shopper needs in real time; and JCPenney, which determines and creates targeted value-adds for e-commerce customers.

Founded in 1818, Brooks Brothers is available in 500 freestanding stores, shop-in-shops and outlets in 45 countries worldwide.