News Briefs

A regional Southern grocer is leveraging personalization and analytics to obtain new customer insights and deliver tailored digital engagement.

Brookshire Brothers, an employee-owned grocery chain which is based in Lufkin, Texas and operates grocery and convenience stores in Texas and western Louisiana under seven banners, is utilizing technology from Birdzi to provide shoppers with personalized digital coupons and ad flyers.

The retailer is deploying Birdzi solutions including the Visper shopper engagement and outreach solution, as well as its shopper analytics and customer data platform. 

“Brookshire Brothers believes in putting our customers first,” said John Alston, president and CEO, Brookshire Brothers. “Birdzi’s cutting-edge personalization tools allow us to quickly adapt to the unique needs of the customers served by our nearly 120 stores, ensuring we remain a trusted and valued community partner.”

Brookshire Brothers revamps end-to-end digital shopping experience

Brookshire Brothers is building on its deployment of digital tools from the eGrowcery food industry e-commerce platform which launched in January 2024. 

Features for shoppers include integrated coupon clipping and redemption, complex promotions, and enhanced support for two-way conversations between online customers and personal shoppers who select products by hand.

On the back end, the grocer will deploy a more efficient picking and fulfillment technology suite. The retailer intends to save labor time and money via this fully integrated fulfillment approach.

[READ MORE: Indiana grocer Strack & Van Til personalizes customer engagement]

“Birdzi proudly became the grocery industry’s most trusted personalization and customer intelligence platform in 2024,” said Shekar Raman, CEO and co-founder, Birdzi. “On average, our customers witnessed a 30% increase in basket size and a doubling of store visits. We look forward to continuing our hand-in-hand collaboration with Brookshire Brothers.”

Bloomingdale's has tapped a new e-commerce partner to improve the online shopping experience of customers.

The department retailer has launched a partnership with Lucky that will enable luxury brands to seamlessly connect their direct-to-consumer (DTC) websites with Bloomingdale's in-store inventory. Starting today, online shoppers can instantly check the availability of their favorite luxury products at their local Bloomingdale's stores while browsing their preferred brand's website.

The integration enables customers to make purchases through Bloomingdale's for same-day pickup or delivery, providing the most expedient way to acquire desired products from their local stores. Lucky says that brands will gain “unprecedented capabilities” to connect their customers with retail inventory and track conversions directly on their e-commerce websites.

[READ MORE: Salesforce: Global online holiday sales hit $849 billion so far]

"We are excited to partner with Bloomingdale's to transform the luxury shopping experience by bridging the gap between online discovery and immediate accessibility," said Sneh Parmar, CEO and co-founder of Lucky. "Bloomingdale's has been an innovative force in luxury retail, and integrating their inventory systems with Lucky's platform creates a powerful solution for brands and their customers. This partnership enables brands to offer their online customers instant access to Bloomingdale's curated departments, combining the convenience of digital shopping with the prestigious Bloomingdales experience."

A division of Macy’s, Inc., Bloomingdale's currently operates 32 full-line stores, 21 Bloomingdale's The Outlet stores and four Bloomie's stores. In addition, Bloomingdale's has an international presence with locations in Dubai and Kuwait. 

WHP Global has added another brand to its growing portfolio. 

The New York-based brand management firm has agreed to acquire the intellectual property of the Vera Wang fashion brand. As part of the deal, Vera Wang will continue in her role as founder and chief creative officer and will join WHP Global as a shareholder, continuing to shape the brand's creative direction and future growth. 

Wang is expected to become part of WHP’s  new premium fashion vertical which includes Rag & Bone, Joe’s Jeans, and G-Star. The WHP portfolio, whose brands that collectively generate over $7 billion in global retail sales, also includes Toys”R”Us, Express, Anne Klein, Lotto and others.

"Vera Wang is a legend,” said Yehuda Shmidman, chairman and CEO of WHP Global. “Her name is synonymous with modernity, artistry and impeccable style. We are honored to partner with Vera Wang and look forward to building on the brand's remarkable legacy with new business opportunities around the world."

Financial terms of the transaction, which is expected to close in January 2025,  were not disclosed.

"WHP Global's forward-thinking approach perfectly aligns with my vision for the future,” said Wang, who founded the brand in 1990. “Together, we will push boundaries, exploring bold opportunities to expand into new categories and markets, all while staying true to the legacy of timeless sophistication and the distinctive style that defines Vera Wang.”

The Vera Wang brand generates over $700 million in annual retail sales across categories including women's apparel, bridal, men's tuxedos and suiting, fine jewelry, fragrance, and home, among others.

A specialty fresh food grocer is expanding its footprint in The Bay State.

The Fresh Market opened two more stores in Massachusetts on Dec. 11 to close out 2024. At the new locations in Mansfield and Framingham, shoppers can find fresh, local and organic products along with curated ready-to-eat meals including in-house smoked pit barbecue and freshly made pizza.

Both stores are open seven days a week, with operating hours from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. For added convenience, guests can also shop from the Mansfield and Framingham stores online and enjoy curbside pickup or home delivery through The Fresh Market's website or mobile app.

In late October, The Fresh Market opened new stores in the Maryland suburb of Crofton, and Lincoln Park, a neighborhood on Chicago’s North Side. The new Massachusetts locations bring the North Carolina-based grocer’s store count to 166 in 22 states.

In addition to the new openings, The Fresh Market is rebuilding its store in Hendersonville, N.C., after it sustained significant damage caused by Hurricane Helene.

"The Fresh Market really shines during the holiday season, and we are thrilled to bring The Fresh Market experience to Mansfield and Framingham," said Jason Potter, CEO of The Fresh Market. "The Fresh Market is the fresh food destination for our guests, offering high-quality products and convenient options that inspire delicious meals and create memorable occasions.”

[READ MORE: Natural Grocers, Amazon Fresh, Fresh Market tops with health-focused shoppers]

To mark the grand openings, The Fresh Market donated $4,000 to the Greater Boston Food Bank. The grocer regularly works with local food banks in markets it serves to help improve food security.

(Editors' note: The featured image is of The Fresh Market's Framingham store.)

Walgreens is obtaining first-hand expertise to assist the delivery and advancement of its clinical trials.

The retail pharmacy giant first introduced its clinical trial platform, based on a flexible clinical trial model, in 2022. Since that time, the Walgreens clinical trial team has reached more than 7 million patients to potentially recruit into sponsor-led clinical trials.

[READ MORE: Walgreens launches new specialty pharmacy business unit]

As Walgreens continues expanding the scope and public awareness of its clinical trials, the retailer is forming the the Walgreens Clinical Trials Patient Advisory Board. Members will offer key patient insights to help guide the development of clinical trials.

The inaugural board consists of 10 patient experts who will commit to a two-year term to leverage their experiences to inform clinical trial recruitment and retention efforts in an effort to increase access and representation in clinical research in communities that have historically been excluded. 

Ramita Tandon, chief biopharma services officer of Walgreens, is standing up the board as part of Walgreens’ commitment to bringing community-based clinical research to more people.

“I am proud to engage with our inaugural cohort of Patient Advisory Board members to increase awareness and representation in clinical trials,” said Tandon. “Only 5% of the U.S. population participates in clinical trials and nearly 80% of trials fail to meet their enrollment goals, often contributing to delays in bringing new medications to patients. Our board members will help inform how we approach our sponsor-led clinical trials to better serve our patients and partners.”

Based in Deerfield, Ill., Walgreens is the flagship U.S. brand Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., an integrated healthcare, pharmacy and retail company, and operates roughly 8,500 stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

A new entertainment venue is coming to The Shops at Skyview in Queens, N.Y.

Newmark Retail has announced that it has secured an 80,300-sq.-ft. lease for Round1 Bowling & Arcade, marking the first New York City location for the subsidiary of the Japan-based amusement chain Round1. According to Newmark Research, the transaction is the largest new retail lease transaction to close in New York City so far this year.

At Round1, visitors can enjoy a plethora of arcade games as well as bowling, billiards, ping-pong, and more. The chain also offers spaces for parties. As of November 2024, Round1 operated 100 locations in Japan, 54 in the United States and four in China.

[READ MORE: Yelp: Dining and experiences, not retail, driving mall visits]

Newmark executive managing director David Friedman and managing director Andrew Stern facilitated the lease transaction on behalf of the tenant.

 “The closing of this transaction is a testament to the power of commitment and partnership, two components that continued to drive this deal forward over the last two years,” said Friedman. “We congratulate Round1 on the impending opening of their first NYC location and look forward to our continued partnership as we seek to realize their goal of national expansion.”

The Shops at Skyview is a 700,000-sq.-ft. shopping destination in Flushing, Queens, and is owned and managed by Blackstone subsidiary, ShopCore Properties.