News Briefs

Batteries Plus continued to make efforts towards expansion in the first quarter of 2025.

The specialty battery retailer signed 17 new franchise agreements and opened eight new locations across seven states during the first quarter. With key agreements signed to debut in Hawaii along with expansions in Florida, New Jersey and Texas, Batteries Plus is on pace to have locations open and in development in all 50 states by year's end.

The new franchise signings include seven franchises new to the Batteries Plus system. The eight store openings were spread across Arkansas, Georgia (two locations), Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas.

[READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE Q&A: Batteries Plus takes on tariffs]

"This strong start to 2025 reflects the continued demand for our products, services, expertise, and franchise opportunity across the country and beyond," said Victor Daher, VP of global franchise development for Batteries Plus. "From new franchisees entering our system to seasoned operators expanding their portfolios, entrepreneurs continue to see Batteries Plus as a stable, high-growth investment backed by innovation, support, and strong unit-level economics."

Looking ahead for the remainder of the year, Batteries Plus is looking to expand its footprint with locations in Florida, Hawaii, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey and Texas.

Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Hartland, Wis., Batteries Plus has over 800 stores open and in development. The retailer offers batteries, specialty light bulbs and phone repair services for the direct-to-consumer and commercial channels. It also offers key programming, replacement and cutting services.

Quick service restaurants delivering orders via DoorDash have several new artificial intelligence solutions to enhance menus and product imagery.

DoorDash is launching its new AI tools for delivery orders placed through its e-commerce site and app as well as orders placed via its partners’ own digital touchpoints. The solutions include an item description generator, AI-equipped camera, instant photo approvals, and background-enhanced menu photos. 

A brief overview of each new tool follows:  

Item description generator: Takes inputs, such as item names and existing photos, to generate menu descriptions in seconds. Retailers can gain access to the item description generator through the DoorDash business manager app or through the merchant portal.

AI-equipped camera: Available in the DoorDash business manager app, this camera utilizes AI camera vision to enable users to take professional-quality food photos in seconds with real-time feedback on framing, smart lighting, background enhancements, and intuitive cropping tools.

Instant photo approvals: Reviews and approves select menu item photos that meet DoorDash guidelines in one minute. 

Background-enhanced photos: User-generated food photos are automatically adjusted for lighting, re-plating, or modifying the background without altering how the food itself looks.

[READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE Q&A: DoorDash aids customers and retailers with engagement]

“At DoorDash, we believe AI should make life easier for restaurants—not more complicated," said Arpit Dhariwal, head of product, merchant acquisition & growth at DoorDash. "It’s about using automation to enhance the guest experience while keeping the operator’s unique touch front and center. We're excited to help drive more orders, save time, and support continued growth for our restaurant partners."

The overwhelming majority of those celebrating Easter next Sunday plan to make purchases for the holiday. 

Ninety-four percent of Easter shoppers intend to buy something for their holiday celebrations, with the top purchases being food (68%) and candy (57%), according to new data from Numerator, which notes that Easter is the second most popular holiday for candy purchasing after Halloween. Eighteen percent of celebrators plan to purchase alcoholic beverages for their holiday celebrations, with wine (63%), beer (49%), and spirits (45%) being the most popular choices.

Those planning to make purchases plan to spend their dollars at big box stores like Walmart and Costco (57%), grocery stores (54%), discount or dollar stores (30%), and online retailers like Amazon and Etsy (27%). Two-thirds (65%) of celebrators say they plan to spend less than $100 on their Easter celebrations. 

[READ MORE: Walmart prices its Easter meal lower than last year]

A majority (61%) of celebrators plan to gather with family and friends, 41% plan to cook or bake, and 28% plan to decorate their homes. Gen Z is twice as likely to say they will grill or barbecue (26% vs. 13%), order food for takeout or delivery (12% vs. 5% for all celebrators), or go out for drinks (10% vs. 4%). Millennials are more likely to buy gifts than other generations (26% vs. 19%).

A recent forecast from the National Retail Federation predicts that Easter spending will hit $23.6 billion this year. The projected amount is above last year’s $22.4 billion, and close to the record $24 billion spent in 2023.

At Home Group is feeling the heat.

The fast-growing, value home décor retailer is exploring filing for bankruptcy as it struggles to meet its debt obligations, reported The Wall Street Journal. The Dallas-based company, which sources nearly all of its product from abroad, is also challenged by the Trump Administration’s 10% baseline tariffs on most imported goods and the tariff rate on products imported from China, which has been upped to 145%.

At Home operates more than 260 locations in 40 states. Stores average a little over 100,000 sq. ft. and feature up to 50,000 home décor items. The selection ranges from furniture, rugs, wall art and housewares to tabletop, patio and holiday décor.

The company was acquired in 2021 by private-equity firm Hellman & Friedman in an all-cash transaction valued at $2.8 billion, including the assumption of debt.  

In May 2024, At Home named Brad Weston as CEO, succeeding longtime chairman and chief executive Lewis L. (Lee) Bird III., who retired. Weston is the former CEO of Party City. He also spent several years in various leadership roles at Petco.

At Home has been working with investment bank PJT Partners and operational adviser AlixParters LLP for assistance, according to Bloomberg Law.

Tailored Brands is streamlining inventory management across its rental supply chain.

The parent company of menswear brands including Men's Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank and other menswear brands has transformed its demand forecasting and inventory planning capabilities utilizing the Invent.ai inventory optimization platform.

Leveraging the platform, Tailored Brands has been able to modernize demand forecasting, automate inventory allocation and streamline distribution center  transfers, helping ensure the right products are available for its millions of rental reservations across its banners each year.

"Inventory optimization means growing your sales and customer service while lowering inventory investment," said Scott Vifquain, CTO at Tailored Brands. "It’s doing more with less. Invent.ai’s solution not only helped us grow customer satisfaction and service on a lower inventory base but also avoided disappointing the customer with substitutions. We saw great results very quickly."

Key results include a drop in substitution rates to 4% from 14%, a 15% savings in inventory investment due to reduced overall inventory spend, improved on-shelf availability, and increased customer engagement and sales levels.

[READ MORE: MyRegistry.com, Men's Wearhouse partner for gift lists]

"The team at Tailored Brands consistently seeks innovative ways to harness AI to unlock greater value through our platform," said Gurhan Kok, founder & CEO, Invent.ai. "Our partnership is not only strategic but also deeply collaborative. We’re excited to continue growing together and driving success."

Tailored Brands operates more than 1,000 stores across banners including Men’s Wearhouse, Jos. A. Bank, Moores, and K&G Fashion Superstore.

A Las Vegas sandwich chain is quickly growing its store count.

Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop has been opening in new markets across the country as part of its goal to reach over 750 locations by 2032. The chain says its “craveable menu,” which includes hand-crafted cheesesteaks, turkey subs, and more, and “fan-first” approach is resonating with consumers.

"At Capriotti's, we are very proud of our support structure for new franchise partners and we while we have always been focused on setting them up for success from day one, we have really upped our game and the results speak for themselves," said David Bloom, chief development and growth officer at Capriotti's. "That being said, while our support is vitally important, this level of initial success would not be possible without our franchise partners' deep ties to their local communities – that is truly the game-changer."

Recent Capriotti’s store openings include:

• Rancho Mirage, Calif.
• Rancho Cordova, Calif.
• Star, Idaho
• Abilene, Texas
• Madison, Ala.
• Princeton, N.J.

The sandwich chain says it has dozens more new locations planned in key markets throughout the year. Upcoming openings slated for the next six months include:

• Enfield, Conn.
• Huntsville, Ala.
• Warren, Ohio.
• Pearl, Miss.
• Post Falls, Idaho
• Springdale, Ark.
• Phoenix, Ariz.

[READ MORE: McDonald’s, Starbucks among world’s 25 most-valuable restaurant brands]

Founded in 1976, Capriotti's is most famous for its 49-year nightly tradition of in-house slow-roasting whole, all-natural turkeys and hand-shredding them each morning to feature in various subs. The chain operates more than 175 locations across the United States.