News Briefs

The Boulder Group, a net leased investment brokerage firm, completed the sale of a four-property portfolio of single-tenant net leased Dollar General properties all located in Michigan for $8.3 million.

The newly constructed stores are located in Gaylord, Reed City, Honor and Vermontville, giving Dollar General geographic diversity in the northern, western and central regions of the state.

The properties are situated in established communities with convenient highway access, and several benefit from steady year-round tourism and outdoor recreation traffic, according to The Boulder Group. 

Each property in the portfolio is leased to Dollar General on an absolute triple-net lease with no landlord responsibilities. Three of the four properties have 10,640-square-foot Dollar General Plus prototypes, which is a larger store format for the convenience store chain, offering an expanded assortment of fresh and refrigerated products.

The leases feature 5% rental increases every five years during the primary term and five 5-year renewal options with 5% increases at each option. The leases are guaranteed at the corporate level by Dollar General, which carries an investment-grade credit rating of BBB.

“Newer construction Dollar General properties with absolute triple net leases and an investment-grade corporate guaranty continue to be among the most sought-after offerings in the net lease sector,” said Jimmy Goodman, Boulder Group’s president.

Staples is expanding its retail partnership with Party City just in time for the holiday season.

The office supplies retailer is opening approximately 120 additional Party City shop-in-shop locations across 27 states throughout the holiday season. The rollout is already underway and will continue through early December.

In April, Staples announced plans to open Party City shops in more than 700 stores nationwide and also on Staples.com. The rollout came after Party City filed for bankruptcy at the end of 2024 with plans to commence a “wind down" of its retail and wholesale operations. The retailer went on to close its approximate 700 stores nationwide. 

At the shop-in-shop locations, customers can find Party City’s selection of balloons, décor, party supplies and more, while also having the option to create personalized invitations, banners, yard signs and posters through Staples' print services.

A Staples spokesperson told Chain Store Age that the expansion is not seasonal, adding that it is a permanent change that reflects the “early success of the partnership and positive customer response.”

“The early success of our partnership with Party City has shown us that customers value the convenience of finding more of what they need in one place," said Marshall Warkentin, president of Staples U.S. Retail. "We’re excited to bring Party City’s assortment to approximately 120 additional Staples stores, giving even more communities easy access to costumes, décor and party essentials, just in time for the holiday season." 

[READ MORE: Staples launches 'Hard vs. Easy' campaign to highlight workplace solutions]

Headquartered near Boston, Staples serves customers throughout North America through direct B2B sales, e-commerce and more than 900 retail stores.

Seoul-based Artbox has opened in Los Angeles amid surging popularity for Korean brands, led by the explosive growth of K-beauty and K-pop.

Described as Korea’s “original design-lifestyle retail brand,”  Artbox opened a pop-up store on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles as the first step in its U.S. expansion. Open Oct. 3-11, the space includes a series of immersive zones combining shopping, K-culture and interactive experiences.

More than a traditional shopping experience, the pop-up is designed as a roughly 40- to 45-minute journey through Artbox’s world of original characters, interactive moments, constantly refreshed products and highly visual spaces. It includes a K-culture and photo zone created in partnership with its global "brand ambassador," K-pop group ILLIT, and a dedicated character and IP experience showcasing Artbox’s original characters alongside character merchandise, collectibles, stationery and accessories.

[READ MORE: South Korean entertainment company to open flagship K-pop space in NYC]

The pop-up also features a hands-on customization experience inspired by Korea's decorating culture, with opportunities to personalize items such as journals, phones and accessories. 

With 222 stores across South Korea, Artbox offers stationery and writing, home and living, beauty and wellness, character goods and K-culture, fashion and travel, digital and mobile accessories, gifts and seasonal products, and food and snacks through a constantly evolving mix of original design, curation and culture.  

The company said is actively exploring long-term retail opportunities with landlords and development partners in the U.S. Its expansion comes as Korea’s 

"Los Angeles is a natural starting point for Artbox's U.S. journey, bringing together culture, creativity and diverse communities," said Kevin Cho, head of global business at Artbox. "This pop-up marks an exciting first step as we introduce Artbox’s unique take on Korean lifestyle retail to U.S. consumers."

Adobe has an optimistic outlook on Amazon’s upcoming Prime Big Deal Days sales blockbuster.

In analysis emailed to Chain Store Age, Adobe said it expects consumers will spend nearly $10 billion during the Oct. 6-7 Prime Big Deal Days online shopping event for members of the Amazon Prime paid membership program. Adobe expects $9.9 billion to be spent during the promotion, up 9.2% from the 2025 edition.

[READ MORE: Discounts drive Amazon Prime's Big Deal Days spending]

Other Adobe predictions for Prime Big Deal Days performance include:

• Adobe expects discounts to peak at 19% off listed price during the event. 
• Across categories, discounts for electronics are forecast to peak at 19% off listed price, followed by 18% for toys, 18% for televisions, 17% for apparel, 15% for appliances, 14% for furniture, 12% for computers, and 9% for sporting goods. 
• Online sales of toys are expected to jump 190% compared to average sales levels in September 2026). Other items predicted to see sharp increases from September sales levels include video games (up 110%), electronics (up 90%), personal care products (up 70%), appliances (up 65%), and home/garden (up 60%). 
• During the event, Adobe predicts AI traffic to U.S. retail sites (measured by shoppers clicking on a link) to rise 48% year-over-year.

In addition, Adobe forecasts $95.8 billion will be spent online during the entire month of October, up a notable 8% year-over-year from $89 billion. As a reference point, Adobe expects consumers to spend $275.1 billion online for the November-December holiday season, up 6.7% year-over-year.

Walmart Inc. is increasing its Ohio-area fulfillment capacity for oversized products.

The discount giant plans to invest more than $300 million in a new distribution facility in Turtlecreek Township, Ohio (Greater Cincinnati metro area). The new hub will sit on a nearly 100-acre parcel and specialize in fulfilling larger, non-sortable items, including TVs, furniture and other oversized merchandise. 

By expanding its fulfillment capacity in the region and positioning inventory closer to customers, Walmart hopes the facility will help it deliver more items faster while supporting the continued growth of its next-day delivery network.

Walmart expects the facility to create more than 300 new jobs and is partnering with local nonprofits REDI Cincinnati and JobsOhio in its development. The new hub will complement Walmart’s existing fulfillment operation in Monroe, Ohio, which employs more than 200 associates and will continue operating. 

“Greater Cincinnati has been an important part of Walmart’s operations for years, and this investment represents the next chapter in our commitment to the region,” Karisa Sprague, senior VP, fulfillment operations, Walmart U.S., said in a REDI Cincinnati blog post. “This new facility will complement our existing network, create hundreds of new jobs in Warren County and help us serve customers even faster by bringing more products closer to where they live.”

Walmart has been actively expanding a high-tech supply chain facility model featuring automation of picking, packing and shipping. It is not clear whether this facility will feature automation. 

[READ MORE: Walmart unveils next-gen fulfillment center model]

Walmart also provides fulfillment options for sellers who list big and bulky items, such as canoes or trampolines, by offering access to Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS), a fee-based program providing services including storing, picking, packing and shipping.

Photo courtesy of REDI Cincinnati.