News Briefs

Whole Foods Market has entered a new partnership to provide an improved customer experience at select curbside pickup locations.

The Amazon-owned natural and organic foods grocer has teamed up with Vehicle Protection Structures (VPS) to install protective canopies over customer vehicles at curbside pickup locations at its stores in Portland, Maine; Omaha, Neb.; and Austin, Texas. The initiative aims to improve the customer experience at Whole Foods stores, protect employees from the elements and improve wayfinding for a smooth pickup process. 

VPS says that by shielding vehicles and employees from sun, rain, and snow, its canopies improve comfort while reinforcing a retailer’s commitment to customer satisfaction and employee well-being.

“Retailers know that curbside pickup is here to stay, and they’re looking for ways to make the experience as appealing as possible for their customers,” said Keith Busam, VP of business development at VPS. “With VPS structures, they’re not only enhancing convenience but also creating a more welcoming and intuitive space that improves traffic flow and reduces confusion. Whole Foods Market’s investment in covered pickup areas demonstrates their dedication to delivering an exceptional shopping experience.”

[READ MORE: Whole Foods Market opening new U.K. store]

Whole Foods Market has more than 535 stores in the U.S., U.K. and Canada, with nearly 90 stores in the pipeline.

(Editor's note: Image courtesy of VPS)

DoorDash is expanding the options customers have for payment.

The on-demand delivery platform is teaming up with artificial intelligence-based global payments and commerce network Klarna to offer Klarna’s flexible payment services to its customers. 

In the coming months, DoorDash customers will be able to utilize Klarna’s seamless range of payment options when purchasing items from retail partners as well as its DashPass annual subscription plan on the DoorDash site or app.

"As we expand DoorDash’s offerings—from groceries and beauty to electronics and gifts—flexible payment options are essential to meeting our customers’ needs," said Anand Subbarayan, head of money products at DoorDash.

When DoorDash customers reach checkout, they will see Klarna as an additional payment option, giving them more freedom to choose how they want to pay. Options will include:

• Pay in full allows customers to pay right away using Klarna’s seamless payments offering.
• Pay in 4 allows customers to pay in four equal interest-free installments.
• Pay later allows customers to defer payments to a future time, such as a date that aligns with their paycheck schedules.

"Our partnership with DoorDash marks an important milestone in Klarna’s expansion into everyday spending categories," said David Sykes, chief commercial officer of Klarna. 

Other alternative payment options offered by DoorDash include a cash-on-delivery feature that lets customers pay for their order with cash on eligible first-party orders fulfilled through its DoorDash Drive white label fulfillment platform.

In addition, customers ordering from a participating DoorDash restaurant partner using its Storefront commission-free online ordering system or Bbot order and pay at table technology can select “gift card” as their preferred payment option during the checkout process via an integration with Paytronix.

[READ MORE: DoorDash enables gift card, loyalty payment]

Primark is continuing its U.S. expansion.

The global value fashion retailer will open a location at Potomac Mills in Woodbridge, Va. on April 10. The 32,000-sq.-ft. store will be Primark’s second in the state, with the first opening in July 2024 at Tysons Corner Center in Tysons. The retailer is continuing to expand its presence in the DMV (encompasses District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia) area with another lease signed at the Mall at Prince George’s in Hyattsville, Md.

With the opening at Potomac Mills, Primark will operate 30 stores in the U.S. across 12 states, with plans to reach 60 locations here by the end of 2026. The company has signed a lease for its first Manhattan storefront, a 54,000-sq.-ft. flagship in the Herald Square neighborhood. It also has signed several leases in Texas.

[READ MORE: Primark opens its first Texas store, with more to come — here’s where]

Primark is known for its budget prices, with denim starting at $10 and tee shirts at $4.50. It also features an extensive selection of licensed products, with collections such as Netflix, Disney and Marvel, as well as location-specific NBA and NFL apparel.

Founded in Ireland in 1969 under the Penneys brand, Primark operates 450 stores globally. The company is owned by Associated British Foods.

The chief executive of The Container Store has left the chain nearly two months after it exited bankruptcy.

Satish Malhotra has resigned from the home storage products and custom spaces retailer “to pursue other opportunities,” reported The Dallas Morning News, citing an internal memo. Malhotra joined the company as CEO in 2022 after previously serving as the chief retail and operating officer of Sephora. 

The Container Store board has authorized the formation of the “Office of the Chief Executive Officer” to be responsible for executing the company's overall operations and strategy, according to the report. Board chair Joel Bines will become executive officer and lead the office, and Martin Schumacher, chief transformation officer, will become chief commercial officer and part of the new leadership team, the report said.

The Container Store filed for bankruptcy in December, saying it had negotiated and solicited support for a prepackaged plan of reorganization and expected the entire process to take less than 35 days. In emerged at the end of January as a private company, noting it successfully refinanced its short-term debt and significantly reducing previous long-term debt. 

[READ MORE: Container Store exits bankruptcy]

The Container Store operates more than 100 locations nationwide. 

X Team Retail Advisors, a nationwide brokerage combine spread across nearly 50 markets, has re-elected Dave Cheatham to his third term as its president.

“The mission of this national affiliate platform remains anchored on expansion of services and geographic growth to collaboratively serve the needs of retailers and landlords,” said Cheatham, who leads the Phoenix-based Velocity Retail Group.

X Team continues to expand its network of 300-plus retail real estate experts, most recently having added Pacific Asset Advisors in Seattle, Pierson Commercial Real Estate in New Jersey, MSC in Philadelphia, and Secure Net Lease, a brokerage with offices in Dallas and Los Angeles.

Last year X Team launched a national retailer services business line that quickly allows retail brands to conduct research, complete site selection assessments, execute lease roll-out plans nationally or regionally, restructure leases, or develop, plan, and construct new stores. 

Also re-elected to the company’s board were its slate of regional directors: Econic Company’s James Chung in the West; Rise Commercial Partners’ Jeff Townsend in the South Central; The Providence Group’s Darren Wood in the Southeast, and Mfi Realty’s Michael Albo in the Northeast.

Cheatham is an authority on retail real estate in the disciplines of brokerage, project leasing, development, consulting and advisory services.

Walmart’s Canadian subsidiary is creating a new opportunity for sellers on its third-party marketplace to connect with online shoppers.

In an email to Chain Store Age, Walmart Canada said that retailers and brands selling products on its digital marketplace can now purchase sponsored product ads on its e-commerce site and mobile app through the newly enhanced Canadian Walmart Ads Platform, supported by Walmart Connect.

Launched in 2021 in the U.S. and Canada as a revamped version of the Walmart Media Group, Walmart Connect is designed to enable advertisers to drive more effectiveness with their overall media spend. 

The platform offers advertisers the ability to serve personalized, time- and context-specific ads across customer touchpoints including media placements on in-store TV walls and self-checkout screens, Walmart digital properties, mobile devices and corporate events.

In September 2023, Walmart began offering premium sponsored search placement via a new sponsored videos program to all Walmart Connect advertisers that are brand-registered in the Walmart Brand Portal. 

According to Walmart, Walmart Connect grew 30% for fiscal year 2024. With the new ad platform, the retailer says Canadian marketplace sellers will be able to boost product visibility by securing prominent ad placements.

The platform also enables marketplace sellers to directly manage campaigns with an auction-based marketplace and obtain access to in-depth analytics to track performance and make data-driven decisions.

Current and new Canadian Walmart Marketplace sellers can enroll in the program on the Walmart Canada site.

[READ MORE: Walmart Canada adds new channel to in-store advertising mix]

Headquartered in Mississauga, Ont., Walmart Canada operates a chain of more than 400 stores nationwide as well as an e-commerce site.