News Briefs

Stater Bros. Markets is streamlining it third-party delivery operation to enhance driver performance and order volume.

The largest privately-owned supermarket chain in Southern California partners with omnichannel location technology provider Flybuy by Radius Networks to improve its third-party delivery experience. 

During the past two years of leveraging the Flybuy delivery platform, Stater Bros. says it has seen a 15% reduction in driver wait time, a 25% increase in order volume, and a 50% decrease in delivery driver walk-ins. The grocer utilizes the solution to help ensure a faster handoff between its staff and delivery drivers to reduce overall wait times for customers. 

As they do with customer pickups, Stater Bros. store associates now receive accurate delivery driver estimated time of arrival and complete visibility into the delivery driver's progress to the store.  The retailer also deploys Flybuy tools to prevent third-party delivery issues such as drivers entering staging areas and prematurely grabbing incomplete orders.

Stater Bros. has also improved its delivery order accuracy and efficiency, helping to minimize delivery-related refund costs due to missing or wrong items. In addition, the retailer says delivery customers are receiving their orders faster and without error, leading to a higher level of satisfaction.

"Flybuy helps grocers like Stater Bros. create a seamless connection between staff, drivers, and customers, ensuring that deliveries are faster and more accurate,” said Marc Wallace, CEO and co-Founder of Flybuy. By reducing inefficiencies like driver walk-ins and improving order accuracy, everyone in the process wins.”

[READ MORE: Giant Eagle slashes delivery driver wait times with AI-based alerts]

Based in San Bernardino, Calif., Stater Bros. operates nearly 170 stores.

Southern casual-dining chain Huddle House is expanding in a big way in the Lone Star State.

The chain, known for all-day breakfast and homestyle food, has signed its largest franchise deal in its history, securing 20 new units across Texas. The record-breaking agreement is led by WE Food Enterprises Hospitality Group LLC (WE Foods). The first location is slated to open by June of next year in Spring, Texas, a suburb of Houston, with three additional openings planned in surrounding areas that month.

“This franchise agreement marks a significant milestone for Huddle House and showcases the success of our development team,” said Peter Ortiz, chief development officer at Ascent Development, the parent company of Huddle House. “WE Foods represents the ideal franchise partner, who is dedicated to operational excellence and committed to creating positive guest experiences. This achievement continues to demonstrate the growing interest from prospective franchisees, and we look forward to more wins ahead.”

WE Foods cited Huddle House’s value, diverse menu, and welcoming environment as a factor for the 20-unit deal.

“Our team has extensive experience in the restaurant industry, and we have actively sought the right franchise opportunity for quite some time,”  said Justin Criswell, chief information officer at WE Foods. “The Huddle House franchise team has been exceptional in supporting our vision to bring people together. Huddle House stood out to us because we aligned with its values and mission. We hope to create a welcoming hub for colleges, local schools, and families while creating meaningful job opportunities for students.”

[READ MORE: Store Expansion News: October update]

Founded in 1964 and based in Atlanta, Huddle House has nearly 300 locations open or in development.

All e-commerce is local for London’s famed Harrods department store.

Harrods is deploying the Global-e e-commerce platform to deliver a personalized, localized online shopping experience for customers in more than 200 markets worldwide. Key features include browsing and payment in local currencies, a range of local and alternative payment methods, shipping offerings, advanced duty and tax calculations and prepayment for a guaranteed final cost of purchase, and a streamlined return process. 

"At Harrods we are continuously expanding our e-commerce presence to deliver memorable experiences to our customers around the world, making it crucial to partner with those who can support our ambitious goals," said Caitlin Innes, chief digital and customer\officer at Harrods. "We have partnered with Global-e to provide a seamless customer experience for both our U.K. and international visitors.”

Leveraging the Global-e platform, Harrods will also manage e-commerce activities such as trade compliance while having access to business intelligence models.

[READ MORE: Harrods opens freestanding beauty store concept]

"We are proud to partner with Harrods, an icon in luxury retailing known for its commitment to unparalleled service and excellence, by powering its international online e-commerce operations,” said Cristian van Tienhoven, CEO of Global-e Europe. “We are enabling Harrods to create tailored and localized shopping experiences for its customers worldwide."

A Canadian travel and lifestyle brand has selected the site for its first brick-and-mortar store in the United States.

Monos announced the signing of a 10-year lease for a location on the ground floor of The Dylan, a luxury apartment building and mixed-use development in Chicago’s upscale Fulton Market neighborhood. Monos is set to open the doors of its 2,800-sq.-ft. store in the spring of 2025, which will offer offer guests a curated food and beverage menu alongside “immersive experiences” designed to engage the Chicago community.

The planned U.S. expansion comes after the brand has begun opening retail locations in Canada, most recently this summer in Toronto’s Little Portugal neighborhood, arriving after the brand opened its flagship store in Vancouver last year. 

The brand was founded in 2018 as a direct-to-consumer retailer and began venturing into physical retail with pop-ups in 2022. At the company’s first retail stores, visitors can find high-end suitcases, bags and travel accessories.

“We are delighted that Monos has chosen The Dylan for its store, a first for this category in Fulton Market which is continually expanding and diversifying retail arrivals,” said Jess Brown, principal of leasing at Sterling Bay, the real estate firm that developed and manages The Dylan. “The speed of leasing we’ve seen across retail, residential and office is proof of the neighborhood’s continued popularity and consistent foot traffic. Sterling Bay will keep working to attract high-quality tenants like Monos to drive Fulton Market forward.”

The 282-unit property opened its doors in October of 2023 and stabilized this August, as it is currently 97% leased. CBRE’s Phil Golding, Todd Siegel, Kim Wiskup and Gianna Bianconi negotiated the transaction on behalf of Monos.

TikTok is not waiting to begin its Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotion and plans holiday livestreams with celebrities including pop singer Nicki Minaj.

The video-focused social media platform’s TikTok Shop U.S. e-commerce site is kicking off its Black Friday and Cyber Monday seasonal campaign with a sale called "Brand Palooza" from Wednesday, Nov. 13 to Wednesday, Nov. 27 (the day before Thanksgiving). Brand Palooza will provide brand-focused exclusive product discounts of up to 55%, including Phillips, Benefit Cosmetics, Liquid IV, HeyDude and The Ordinary Store. 

[READ MORE: TikTok launches e-commerce in U.S.]

TikTok Shop’s Black Friday-Cyber Monday promotion, which runs through Monday, Dec. 2, will also include a series of livestream shopping events on the TikTok Live platform including Nicki Minaj on Sunday, Nov. 24. Other celebrities scheduled to host live shopping events on TikTok Live include social media influencers the D’Amelio family, as well as events from brands including BK Beauty, The Beachwaver and Glamlite.

New products will also launch on TikTok during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, including deals from small businesses. Eligible purchases made from Nov. 13 through the end of December can be returned through Monday, Feb. 10, 2025. This extended return period gives holiday shoppers extra flexibility and peace of mind during the busy holiday season.

"The holiday season is a great time for people to find new products and brands they love, making shopping on TikTok an unforgettable experience," said TikTok in a press release. 

Target Corp. has revealed its extended holiday store hours, which include opening extra early on a key shopping day for retail with an exclusive offer. 

The company said most of its stores will open at 6 a.m. (local time) on Black Friday, which falls on Nov. 29 this year. (For the fifth consecutive year, Target stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28. )

Starting on Black Friday, Target will offer two exclusive Taylor Swift releases (available only while supplies last). The items include the official “Taylor Swift/The Eras Tour,” which provides behind-the-scenes look at the making and performance of the superstar’s Eras tour, and "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology" album on vinyl and CD.

The items will be available exclusively at Target in stores only on Black Friday. They will become available on the Target app and on Target.com starting Saturday, Nov. 30.

Beyond Black Friday and for the rest of the holiday season, Target is offering extended store shopping hours of 7 a.m. to midnight, from Nov. 30 to Dec. 23. 

“Target is the place to be on Black Friday — and all season long — with incredible deals on thousands of items across every category and exclusive in-store items you'll want to pick up for everyone on your gift list this year," said Mark Schindele, chief stores officer at Target. "With extended store hours, convenient same-day pickup and delivery options and around-the-clock online availability, you can choose when, where and how to shop, and our fantastic team will be there to deliver."