News Briefs

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.

Casey’s General Stores is automating and scaling its processes for handling contracts.

The Iowa-based convenience chain is rolling out the IntelAgree artificial intelligence-based contract lifecycle management (CLM) platform. Casey's will leverage the full IntelAgree suite, including Saige Assist, its generative AI assistant, to manage contract operations across the organization.

"At Casey's, we're always looking for ways to operate smarter and serve our communities better," said Katrina Lindsey, Casey's chief legal officer. "IntelAgree gives our teams the tools to work faster, reduce risk, and focus on what really matters — delivering value to our guests and team members. We're excited to work alongside a company that shares our commitment to meaningful, everyday impact."  

The IntelAgree platform includes a centralized contract repository, as well as automated approvals, real-time dashboards, and Saige Assist, and is designed to support every stage of the contract lifecycle. Casey’s plans to utilize the solution for tasks such as managing vendor agreements, internal operations, and strategic initiatives.

"Casey's purpose is rooted in care: to make life better for communities and guests every day. That kind of commitment resonates with us," said David Hull, CEO of IntelAgree. "At IntelAgree, we're focused on streamlining contract management so teams can spend more time on impactful work. When our partners' values align, good things happen."

[READ MORE: Casey’s closes on acquisition of Fikes Wholesale — largest deal in its history]

Based in Ankeny, Iowa, Casey’s operates approximately 2,900 locations and is the third-largest convenience store retailer and the fifth-largest pizza chain in the United States.  

Photo: Business Wire.

After opening its 1,200th store last year, Smoothie King is showing no signs of slowing down its expansion.

The smoothie chain shared a business update for the first quarter of 2025, highlighted by 13 new store openings and 20 new store commitments added to its development pipeline. Of the new stores, seven of them are in the chain’s home state of Texas.

Smoothie King’s new agreements span 15 different markets across 12 states, including multi-unit deals in key markets such as Long Island, N.Y. and Phoenix, further expanding Smoothie King’s national footprint. Consistent with previous quarters, nearly 60% of these signings were secured with existing franchisees.

Smoothie King said the quarter marked the 15th consecutive period of securing 20 or more store commitments. Earlier this year, the company said it expected to open approximately 105 new stores in 2025.

“Our consistent growth quarter after quarter reflects the strength of the Smoothie King brand, the trust of our franchisee community, and the increasing demand for better-for-you options nationwide,” said Chris Bremer, chief development officer at Smoothie King. “We’re especially proud to see our existing franchisees continue to expand, proving the long-term value of our brand, and we look forward to welcoming new franchisees into the Smoothie King family as we grow together.”

[READ MORE: Smoothie King names new chief marketing officer]

Founded in 1973 and headquartered in Dallas, Smoothie King operates more than 1,200 locations nationwide.

Target Corp. is rolling out another exclusive collection —one that will give its shoppers a premium option for bedding.

Direct-to-consumer home brand Parachute, best known for its luxurious bedding and bath items, has created an exclusive collection for the discounter. The new Parachute for Target line launches April 27 with more than 200 bedding and bath linen items, ranging from plush towels and decorative bed pillows to linen sheets and robes. 

The entire Parachute for Target collection will be available on Target.com, with nearly 90 stores carrying a portion of the collection, starting April 27. Prices range from $12 to $199, with most items under $90. Sheet sets range from $149 to $199.

The new collection will join Target’s other home goods and bedding lines, including Room Essentials, Threshold, Hearth and Hand with Magnolia and Casaluna. 

[READ MORE: Target in new partnership with Champion]

“Target’s famous for making great style accessible to everyone, so the opportunity to bring an amazing brand like Parachute to our guests is a dream come true,” said Jill Sando, Target’s executive VP and chief merchandising officer of apparel & accessories, home and hardlines. “Together, we’re focused on delivering on-trend newness, and you can’t get more on trend than Parachute’s luxurious bedding — at only-at-Target prices. Parachute for Target is giving our guests another great bedding option, and it’s helping build on our legacy of being first-to-mass with beloved national brands.”

Differing factors persuade consumers to make initial and repeat purchases from direct-to-consumer retailers and online brands.

Thirty-two percent of consumers say product quality is the top reason they initially purchase from a brand, while 29% cite product exclusivity, according to a survey from e-commerce solutions provider Radial.  However, delivery speed (72%), product availability (66%), and easy or free returns (63%) are now the most influential factors in consumers’ decision-making process when it comes to conversion and long-term loyalty.

Only 25% of respondents told Radial they believed personalization was “very important,” and 38% referenced brand values, suggesting that execution, not just intention, keeps customers returning.

When it comes to what factors prevent customer loyalty, Radial found that nearly 40% of consumers have stopped purchasing from DTC brands they liked due to fulfillment issues such as stockouts, shipping delays (29%), unexpected fees (30%) and return friction (24%). 

Gen Z (35%) and millennials (33%) are most frustrated with delivery delays and lack of communication. Meanwhile, nearly two-thirds (62%) of all consumers surveyed said they would lose trust in a brand if product quality declined or post-purchase execution fell short.

[READ MORE: Survey: Millennial e-commerce habits include…]

“DTC and modern brands have done the hard work of building emotional connections, but today’s consumers are demanding operational consistency to match,” said Tom Schmitt, CEO of Radial. “Our research shows that even the most beloved brands risk losing customers if they can’t meet expectations around speed, availability and ease.”

The survey was commissioned by Radial and conducted by Dynata, the world's largest first-party data company. The survey was conducted in March 2025 of 1,000 U.S. consumers 18 years and older.

Yum! Brands and E.l.f. Beauty are two of six “exceptional” companies honored by The Conference Board with its 2025 Corporate Responsibility Awards. 

The annual awards recognize outstanding leadership in sustainability, innovation and corporate citizenship. Calling E.l.f. Beauty a “bold disruptor with a kind heart,” the Conference Board said the company sets its aspirations on elevating its people, its products and the planet. E.l.f donates at least 2% of its profits to causes most important to its employees and community and eliminates 2,500-plus ingredients from its formulas, with more than 85% of its products made in Fair Trade Certified facilities. 

E.l.f. Beauty is “a leader in corporate diversity— with a board of directors and a workforce reflective of the diverse community it serves,” the Conference Board said.

READ MORE: e.l.f Beauty unveils eye-catching campaign to make corporate boards more diverse 

Yum! Brands

Recognized for its multifaceted sustainability agenda. Yum! Brands is removing barriers through its community impact programs and cutting GHG emissions across its restaurants and supply chain, noted the Conference Board. It also is investing in sustainable packaging — with all its efforts going to build a more resilient food system. (Yum! and its subsidiaries franchise or operate a system of over 61,000 around the globe under banners that include KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut.)

The other recipients of the 2025 Corporate Responsibility Awards were AT&T, Prudential Financial, Medtronic and Webster Bank.

“The exemplary work of [all] these companies has led to immense benefits both within and beyond company walls — employees, communities, the natural environment, and more,” said Jeff Hoffman, interim leader of the governance and sustainability center at The Conference Board. “By shining a light on this year’s honorees, we inspire the broader business community to take their corporate responsibility commitments to new heights.”