News Briefs

Lidl US continues to grow its footprint in New York City.

The discount grocer will open a store in Brooklyn on Friday May 23. Earlier this year, Lidl opened an outpost at the Gateway Center, a shopping center in Brooklyn. Also, according to Brownstoner, the grocer is preparing a new store in a mixed-use complex in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood.

Lidl has also signed a leasing agreement with Grand Street Guild for a 23,000-sq.-ft. location on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The store is expected to open in summer 2025. 

Lidl US is part of Lidl, one of the largest international grocers that operates more than 12,000 stores and is active in 31 countries, employing more than 360,000 employees globally. The company has more than 170 stores across nine East Coast states and Washington, D.C.

[READ MORE: Aldi enters Nevada with first Las Vegas stores — more in the works]

After a strong year in 2024, American interest in luxury fashion is cooling off. 

That’s according to new data from YouGov BrandIndex and Profiles, which reveals a drop in consumer consideration for some of the world’s biggest luxury brands — including Gucci, Dior and Louis Vuitton. 

The data shows that luxury fatigue is real. From January 1 to April 16, the mean “consideration” score for a group of eight major luxury brands (Burberry, Dior, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Louboutin, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Versace) dropped nearly 25%. The decline marks a shift from the optimism of 2024, when a YouGov study described a “luxury boom” driven by growing interest in high-end goods.

Gucci led the slide, falling from 13.4% to 11.9%. Dior dropped from 12.9% to 11.1%, and Versace declined from 9.3% to 7.9%. Meanwhile, mass-market brands remain stable, with only a minor dip in consideration (from 12.4% to 11.9%).

Other insights from the YouGov data include:

• Fewer Americans plan to buy luxury: 16.3% say they expect to purchase luxury goods this year — down from 18.3% the year prior.
• As to why people still buy luxury, 61% say it’s about quality, 56% say it makes them feel good and 32% say it's a long-term investment.

“This shift marks a clear moment for brands to reassess how they connect with today’s luxury shopper — one who values emotional satisfaction and quality over prestige,” stated YouGov.

Big changes are coming to the space that formerly housed the Saks Fifth Avenue store in Palm Beach, Fla.

Real estate development and investment company O’Connor Capital Partners of New York has announced redevelopment plans for the Saks Fifth Avenue anchor retail space (which closed this month) at the upscale shopping center The Esplanade. The company is set to transform the 50,000-sq.-ft., two-level space into a “premier luxury destination” featuring high-end retail, office space, and lifestyle offerings.

"The Esplanade has long been a cornerstone of high-end shopping in Palm Beach and its redevelopment represents an exciting next chapter," said Bill O'Connor, CEO of O'Connor Capital Partners. "We are committed to delivering a world-class experience that celebrates the history of this celebrated location and provides sought-after retail and lifestyle options as Palm Beach continues to experience unprecedented growth."

Fairfax & Sammons Architecture will oversee the architectural vision for the project, ensuring it “blends seamlessly with Palm Beach's heritage.” Odyssey Retail will lead the tenant curation at the new development to deliver a “carefully-selected mix of world-class brands and exclusive offerings.”

[READ MORE: Neiman Marcus’ Dallas flagship to remain open — through holiday season]

"It is an honor to bring our design expertise to a project that will redefine this space while staying true to the character and elegance that makes Palm Beach so special," said Anne Fairfax, partner at Fairfax & Sammons Architecture. "Our approach is rooted in a deep appreciation for the area's architecture, and all design decisions will reflect the sophistication and charm that visitors cherish."

Founded in 1983, O’Connor Capital Partners has been involved in the development of approximately 20,000 units over its 40-plus-year history.

The Esplanade first opened its doors in 1980.

The restaurant industry showed promising signs of recovery in March.

That’s according to data from Circana, which showed that large-chain restaurant transactions saw notable improvement in March. Although transactions for the four weeks ending April 6 were flat year-over-year, the results were a notable improvement from February’s 4% decline.

Both quick-service restaurants and full-service restaurants showed performance improvement relative to February. Within QSRs, fast-casual restaurants led the way, growing transactions by 2% in March.

In other insights from Circana’s CREST Performance Alerts, all dayparts contributed to improvements. The morning meal was the best performing daypart and made the most progress, recovering from a 6% decline in February to a 3% gain in March. The rebound is largely driven by an increase in office occupancy rates as more companies implement stronger return-to-office policies.

Along with the morning meal, snacking was a top-performing daypart, with transactions slightly growing year over year during the March period.

March's performance is an encouraging indication of the restaurant industry’s strength and adaptability, noted Tim Fires, president of global foodservice for Circana.

“The positive momentum we saw in March shows how adaptable the restaurant industry is and how it can thrive even when market conditions are constantly changing,” he said.

Dollar Tree is bringing back 400 jobs to Oklahoma.

The discounter will open a 1 million-sq.-ft. distribution center in Marietta. The new facility will replace the previous center which was one of many structures in the Marietta community destroyed by a devastating tornado in April 2024.

The new DC, which is expected to be fully operational by spring 2027, will have the capacity to serve 700 Dollar Tree stores across the West and Southwest regions of the U.S. With new and improved technological advancements, the facility will be temperature-controlled with a high level of mechanization, including high speed sortation, designed to improve overall efficiency.

“We are thrilled to announce our return to Marietta,” said Mike Kindy, executive VP  and chief supply chain officer, Dollar Tree. “This region and the Marietta community are critically important in our supply chain network and will be essential to our future growth. We’re proud of the role we’ve played in the greater Marietta community, and we hope to welcome back many associates, bringing the Dollar Tree spirit back to the area.”

[READ MORE: Dollar Tree selling Family Dollar for $1 billion to private-equity investors]

“The opening of the Marietta distribution center will bring 400 jobs back to Oklahoma,” said Governor J. Kevin Stitt. “The reinvestment in the community is a testament to the importance of building strong local relationships and furthers our reputation as a business-friendly state.”

Dollar Tree operated 16,500 stores across 48 states and five Canadian provinces as of Feb. 1, 2025. Stores operate under the brands of Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree Canada.

Specialty grocer The Fresh Market is growing its footprint.

The North Carolina-based chain has opened new locations in Jensen Beach, Fla. and Wethersfield, Conn. The stores mark the 51st in Florida and fourth in Connecticut for the company.

Guests in Jensen Beach and Wethersfield can look forward to shopping a wide range of quality products including meat and seafood, fresh produce, ready-to-cook heat-and-eat meals, a curated selection of local products, global specialty items, private label offerings and more.

Next week, The Fresh Market will open another new location in Mount Pleasant, S.C. By April 30, the grocer will have opened 12 new storefronts in six months.

“We are incredibly excited and proud to bring our signature brand of service and hospitality to both of these wonderful communities,” said The Fresh Market CEO Brian Johnson, who took the reins of the grocer in February. “We are confident our new guests will enjoy everything the Fresh Market has to offer as we strive to make their everyday eating extraordinary.”

[READ MORE: The Fresh Market opens new Massachusetts stores]

To celebrate the two new openings, The Fresh Market provided donations of $2,000 to both the Treasure Coast Food Bank and the Connecticut Foodshare.

The Fresh Market currently operates 171 grocery stores and one Spirits & Wine store in 22 states.