News Briefs
- 10/7/2026
Target rolls out new dress code for grocery employees
Employees in Target's grocery and beverage sections will soon be easy to spot.
Under a new dress code, the employees will be required to wear branded aprons and hats (or visors) during every shift in an effort to make them easier for customers to identify, according to a report by Bloomberg.The change is effective Nov. 1.
The new accessories will bear the logo of Target’s private-label food, Good & Gather, according to the report. A Target spokesperson told Bloomberg that the move is part of the company’s strategy to “elevate the guest experience,” and described the new accessories as “functional and distinctive.”
In September, Target updated its dress code for store employees. Under the chain’s new “Team Colors” guidelines, employees must wear a solid red shirt (or vest) with sleeves paired with khaki or blue denim pants bottoms. Shirts with large logos (unless Target-branded), ripped jeans, leggings, sweatpants, or clothing with offensive graphics.
To ease the transition, Target is offering workers a 20% discount on adult apparel and accessories from its owned brands, a free red shirt and a one-time coupon for 50% off owned-brand denim. The retailer recently introduced an optional employee apparel line in collaboration with Isaac Mizrahi that features red vests and other items.
- 10/7/2026
CVS expands new ‘pharmacy-focused’ store format as part of overall expansion
CVS Health has brought its new scaled-down store format to the Boston area.
Located in Roxbury, Mass., the company’s newest “pharmacy-focused” store is designed to bridge gaps in pharmacy care, and make it easier for members of the community to access medications, immunizations and other health care services provided by pharmacists.
The new format features a full-service pharmacy with a customized selection of over-the-counter products available for purchase. Customers who would like to purchase items that are not offered at the pharmacy-focused locations can order additional items with free delivery to their home. Nearly 20 locations will open in select communities across the country in 2026,
The Roxbury pharmacy also offers a safe medication disposal bin for patients wanting to safely dispose of unneeded, unwanted, or expired medications, It also is a safe needle collection site, giving community members a convenient place to safely dispose of used sharps.
The company has opened pharmacy-focused locations in Birmingham, Ala.; Chicago; Detroit; Houston; and Washington, D.C. The format averages 3,000 square feet.
“We are reimagining how pharmacy care is delivered by creating locations designed around the needs of the communities we serve," said Sid Tenneti, senior VP and interim president, pharmacy and consumer wellness, CVS Health.
CVS plans to open more than 40 new CVS Pharmacy locations this year, including traditional stores and pharmacies in Target. as of June 30, 2026, CVS had approximately 9,000 retail pharmacy locations and more than 1,000 walk-in and primary care medical clinics.
- 10/7/2026
Walmart launches Express Pickup; closing stores Thanksgiving, Christmas
Walmart is offering fast curbside pickup in time for the holidays and letting store associates spend two major holidays with their families.
The discount giant is introducing Express Pickup for in-app orders. Customers can place an order in the Walmart app and have it ready for curbside pickup in as soon as one hour. The new option, currently available at 500 stores, will expand nationwide in the coming weeks, in time to shop for Thanksgiving.
Members of the Walmart+ paid membership program have access to Express Pickup without a fee. Other customers can see any local store pickup charges on the Walmart app at checkout.
In addition, Walmart is introducing American Sign Language interpreting services in U.S. stores through language services provider Sorenson. Customers can scan a QR code at in-store service desks to connect with an interpreter.
Other holiday offerings include A Season to Spark Good, a program that lets customers take part in The Salvation Army Angel Tree and Red Kettle charity efforts. Customers can also round up online purchases to the nearest dollar to support Operation Homefront in November and The Salvation Army in December.
And once again, Walmart close its stores nationwide on Thanksgiving and Christmas (Friday, Dec. 25) to allow its employees to spend the holidays with family and friends.
In addition, Walmart is hosting what it calls a “seasonal savings event” through Sunday, Oct. 11, known as “Fall Deals,” in stores, online and on its app.
[READ MORE: Walmart to compete with Amazon’s fall holiday sales event]
Based in Bentonville, Ark. Walmart Inc. operates more than 10,750 stores and numerous e-commerce websites in 19 countries.
- 10/7/2026
Sodexo teams with delivery robot provider to serve college campuses
The collegiate division of Sodexo North America is accelerating autonomous robot delivery at partner colleges and universities across the U.S.
Food and hospitality services provider Sodexo Campus is partnering with autonomous mobility company Avride to create a framework for participating campuses to implement robotic food delivery in weeks instead of months. Sodexo Campus works with approximately 425 higher education institutions across the U.S.
“Technology is most powerful when it solves a real need for the people we serve,” said Roberta Frierson, VP digital, campus, Sodexo North America. “Autonomous delivery helps expand access, increase convenience and support more agile campus operations. Through this agreement with Avride, we are making it easier for institutions to adopt practical innovation that can improve the student experience and deliver measurable value for campus communities.”
Avride’s robots are designed for pedestrian-heavy spaces, including walkways and pathways adjacent to residence halls, academic buildings, libraries and campus dining locations, using a combination of sensors and machine learning to autonomously navigate sidewalks and support order fulfillment in busy campus settings.
Avride delivery robots are already operating on U.S. campuses including The Ohio State University, Indiana University Bloomington, the University of Arizona, and Salisbury University. In addition, delivery-focused restaurant company Wonder and its Grubhub subsidiary have piloted deliveries with Avride robots from Wonder’s Jersey City location and Jersey city is also the site of a robotic delivery collaboration among Shake Shack, Uber Eats and Avride.
[READ MORE: Shake Shack expands robotic delivery partnership with Uber Eats]
“College campuses are where delivery is part of daily life,” said Dmitry Polishchuk, CEO of Avride. "By bringing Sodexo Campus’s deep knowledge of campus dining together with Avride’s real-world delivery experience, we have an opportunity to set a new standard for how food moves across campus."
- 10/6/2026
T&T Supermarket set to open fourth U.S. location — with more in the works
The opening date for Asian grocery chain T&T Supermarket’s second California store has been unveiled.
The Canadian company will open its new store in San Francisco, at the City Center shopping center, on Nov. 5. T&T will join Target as the other anchor of the property, and add to a tenant mix that includes Chipotle, Subway and European Wax Center.
City Center serves the neighborhoods of Pacific Heights, Presidio Heights, Laurel Heights and the Richmond District, while being located near Golden Gate Park, The Park Presidio, the University of San Francisco, Kaiser Permanente Hospital and UCSF Medical Center.
[READ MORE: T&T plans largest California store yet at NewPark Mall]
The San Francisco T&T store will bring the brand’s signature mix of Asian groceries, freshly-prepared foods, baked goods, Korean beauty products and more to the city. Notably, it will feature the first T&T Café in the United States serving made-to-order specialty lattes and drinks inspired by Asian flavors.
Other store highlights include a wide selection of Asian produce, more than 300 T&T private label products, a curated selection of Asian personal care and gift products and more.
T&T made its debut in California in San Jose in June, and operates other U.S. stores in Bellevue and Lynnwood, Wash. Additional California locations have been announced for Millbrae, Chino Hills and Irvine as the retailer continues to expand its footprint in the country.
Founded in Vancouver in 1993, T&T Supermarket operates more than 40 stores in Canada and the U.S. The company is headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia, with offices in Toronto and Los Angeles.
- 10/6/2026
Centennial adds two properties to its third-party management portfolio
Centennial continues to add to its lengthening list of third-party management accounts, winning assignments from two grocery-anchored centers in Texas and Massachusetts.
Lakeway Commons in Shrewsbury, Mass., (pictured at right) is a 100,000-sq.-ft. center anchored by a 50,000-sq.-ft. Whole Foods Market. The property combines grocery with a mix of dining and service-oriented tenants that include Starbucks, Tavern in the Square and Burtons Grill. Centennial will also handle leasing at this center.
Casis Village in Austin’s affluent Tarrytown neighborhood is a 48,500-sq.-ft. grocery-anchored center serving everyday shopping, dining and service needs. Anchored by Randalls, the property features a mix of local and national tenants including Tarrytown Pharmacy, Starbucks and Estilo.
“Grocery-anchored and open-air retail has long been an important part of Centennial’s business, and we’ve built deep expertise operating these assets in markets across the country,” said Paul Kurzawa, Centennial’s president and CEO. “Casis Village and Lakeway Commons are strong additions to our growing third-party management platform. We look forward to bringing an owner’s mindset and a hands-on approach to both.”
Centennial’s property portfolio has been advancing at a steady pace since it was acquired by the Lincoln Property Company earlier this year, now covering 25 million square feet of retail space across 18 states. The company’s official name became “Centennial, powered by Lincoln” when the deal was done.
Show More