News Briefs

New tenants are set to arrive at an expanding shopping center in Idaho’s second-largest city.

CenterCal Properties LLC has announced new retail and dining tenants coming to Phase II of The Village at Meridian, a 846,000-sq.-ft. mixed-use retail and lifestyle property in Meridian, Idaho. Fashion, lifestyle and wellness retail additions include Vuori, Alo, Kendra Scott, Tecovas, Gorjana and Tempur-Pedic, expanding the center's mix of leading national brands.

New dining offerings at the property will include Flower Child and Paris Baguette, bringing a fresh fast-casual concept and bakery café to the center. Solidcore, a high-intensity, low-impact strength training brand, will soon join the roster at The Village at Meridian as well.

Additional tenants will be announced as leasing activity continues. Initial openings are expected in September 2026, with full Phase II completion anticipated in February 2027. 

CenterCal says The Village at Meridian benefits from strong regional population growth, rising household incomes, and continued residential and commercial development.

[READ MORE: CenterCal Properties acquires San Diego’s Mira Mesa Market]

"The Village at Meridian continues to be one of the strongest retail environments in the country," said Jean Paul Wardy, CEO of CenterCal Properties. "This expansion allows us to introduce retail and dining options that align with how the market has evolved and what customers are looking for today.”

Founded in 2004, CenterCal Properties operates 18 centers in California, Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

Michaels seeks to provide studio-quality services for artists and photographers.

The specialty arts & crafts retailer is combining what it calls archival-quality fine art printing with its 10-minute custom framing service (which starts at $29) to offer what it says is the only fully integrated experience that goes from digital inspiration to finished piece in minutes.

As part of this new offering, Michaels is including larger standard formats in its same-day fine art printing. Customers can now print any digital photo on fine art paper in sizes ranging from 4x4 up to the newly added 16x20. These prints are ready in minutes while customers shop, with prices starting at $4.

Michaels is also launching more than 15 evergreen mat templates for occasions like Father's Day, graduations, and anniversaries. These can be used as an overlay for 10-minute custom framing or paired with any ready-made frame in-store. Some templates are interactive and can be colored in for gifts from children.

[READ MORE: Michaels doubles down on party supplies with in-store customization bars and more]

"At a time when people are looking for more meaningful and personalized ways to celebrate life's special moments, we're uniquely positioned to deliver a full-service experience for customers in-store, from inspiration to finished piece," said Nicholas Bertram, president & COO at Michaels. "Whether customers are printing their own art, a last-minute gift, or creating home decor, we're excited to introduce a level of quality they simply can't find anywhere else."

Headquartered in Irving, Tex., The Michaels Companies Inc. operates more than 1,300 stores in 49 states and Canada and online. The Michaels Companies Inc. also owns Artistree, a manufacturer of custom and specialty framing merchandise. 

The offices of Chain Store Age will be closed on Friday, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth. We will reopen on Monday, June 22.

We wish our readers a happy and safe holiday weekend!

Artificial intelligence continues growing as a source of visitors to e-commerce sites.

In data emailed to Chain Store Age, Adobe revealed that traffic from AI sources to U.S. retail sites rose a significant 138% year over year in May 2026 and has exploded 1,324% since October 2024, marking another record high. 

AI-driven online retail traffic reached a new peak in May 2026, surpassing every month in 2025 and signaling what Adobe calls a “sustained change in how consumers discover and engage with brands.”

Other findings

• AI online traffic converted 54% better than non-AI sources, a sharp reversal from 2025 when conversion rates were nearly half as high. Eight in 10 consumers who use AI for shopping surveyed by Adobe say they use it more than they used to, and 79% feel more confident in purchases made with AI assistance.
• Once on site, AI-referred shoppers are 15% more engaged, the strongest advantage recorded since Adobe began tracking AI online traffic in October 2024. These shoppers also spend more time on the website (53% longer per visit), browse more pages (23% more pages per visit, nearly double March 2026 levels), and are significantly less likely to leave immediately (-36% bounce rate, a record low).
• AI visits are now worth 53% more than non-AI visits, another record high (up from 37% in March 2026). This marks a turnaround from May 2025, when non-AI visits were worth 128% more than AI visits.

[READ MORE: Adobe: AI-driven shopping grows less than expected on Super Bowl Sunday]

“Overall, Adobe’s latest data shows that AI traffic to U.S. retail sites continues to grow, both in volume and value,” Adobe said in emailed commentary. “(But) even top-performing sectors have high-value pages where 30 to 40% of content is still overlooked or uncaptured by AI.”

Specialty gift retailer Edible Arrangements is launching a redesigned mobile app as it also introduces a more personalized loyalty offering.

Edible Arrangements is rolling out its upgraded app on iOS and Android with features such as personalized tools like gift reminders, tailored recommendations, saved addresses and quick reorder functionality.

In conjunction with the app update, Edible Arrangements is introducing a rewards program featuring four membership tiers. Existing members' points and rewards will automatically transfer into the new program. Customers can earn points on every order and redeem points for discounts, free item and app-exclusive perks. The rewards program also includes welcome offers, birthday perks and personalized savings.

"People want gifting to feel easy, thoughtful and personalized - especially in a world where everyone is juggling so much," said Somia Farid Silber, CEOof Edible Brands. "With the new app and Edible Rewards program, we wanted to create an experience that helps customers remember important moments, discover the right gift faster and feel rewarded every time they come back to us. It's all part of continuing to evolve the brand in ways that better fit how people celebrate today."

[READ MORE: Edible Arrangements partners for new online gifting platform]

Customers can download the Edible app and enroll in Edible Rewards to begin earning points, receive a welcome reward and unlock exclusive app-only offers and perks. 

The Edible Brands portfolio includes Edible Arrangements, Edibles.com and Roti Modern Mediterranean. 

Purity Water, a retail concept that sells bottled portions of high-quality purified and alkaline water, sold its first franchise just last year. Now, it has hired an important partner to begin taking the brand nationwide.

JLL this week announced that it has completed five new leases for Purity Water franchises in New Jersey, where the company is based. The spaces range in size from 1,000 to 2,000 square feet and are in Hackensack, West Orange, Bedminster, Berkeley Heights and Middletown. 

“Purity Water has created a concept that feels incredibly timely in today’s retail environment,” said David Townes, a JLL managing director. “Consumers are increasingly focused on health and convenience, and it delivers both in an approachable neighborhood retail format. From the beginning, the brand had a clear vision for expansion, and we’re proud to help bring that vision to life across New Jersey.”

[READ MORE: JLL debuts new Retail Solutions Group]

In its recent “Global Consumer Experience” report, JLL reported that today’s consumers increasingly favor wellness-oriented retail experiences and are seeking out destinations that provide everyday accessibility for healthy products in shopping centers. 

“Our goal has always been to make premium purified and alkaline water more accessible to everyday consumers,” said Purity co-founder Christi Tomimbang. “As we continue expanding, finding highly visible retail locations in strong community shopping centers is critical to our success.”