News Briefs

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.

Costco Wholesale Corp. maintained its momentum in March, amid strong digital growth and a calendar shift that added an extra shopping day to its results.

The membership warehouse club giant’s net sales rose 8.6% to $25.51 billion in the “retail” month of March (the five weeks ended April 6). Total comparable sales increased 6.4%, rising 7.5% in the United States, and 4.1% in Canada. International comp sales rose 2.9%. 

Comparable e-commerce sales at Costco rose 16.2% in March.

Total comparable sales excluding the impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange rose 9.1%, rising 8.7% in the U.S., and 10.6% in Canada. E-commerce comps rose 17.5%.

March had one additional shopping day versus last year, due to the calendar shift of Easter, noted Costco. This positively impacted total and comparable sales by approximately one and one-half percent.

Net sales for the first 31 weeks rose 8.3% to $158.87 billion. Comparable sales for the period are up 16.8%.

[READ MORE: Online grocery sales up 21% in March]

Costco currently operates 903 locations, including 623 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 109 in Canada, 41 in Mexico, 36 in Japan, 29 in the United Kingdom, 19 in Korea, 15 in Australia, 14 in Taiwan, seven in China, five in Spain, two in France, and one each in Iceland, New Zealand and Sweden. Costco also operates e-commerce sites in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Australia.

A DTC purveyor of meat and seafood products is expanding its digital reach with Target and Shopify.

ButcherBox is now available on Target Plus, the third-party digital marketplace operated by Target. The ButcherBox offering on Target Plus is centered on meals for occasions, such as steak lovers and breakfast essentials, priced from $99 to $189. No subscription is needed for purchase.

Butcherbox is connecting to the Target Plus ecosystem via the Shopify Marketplace Connect app. Target entered into a partnership with global commerce platform Shopify to offer a curated selection of popular Shopify sellers and their products in June 2024. 

[READ MORE: Target expands third-party assortment in new partnership]

"As we look to further build the ButcherBox brand, our focus is on getting intentionally sourced protein into the homes of more Americans and eliminating the subscription barrier," said Reba Hatcher, chief commercial officer at ButcherBox. "Target Plus has done an incredible job curating brands and products that will add value to their guests' online experience, and we believe the addition of ButcherBox allows us to provide our premium products to Target's guests in a new way without subscription costs."

ButcherBox also has an ongoing relationship with DashMart, the DoorDash banner which operates online storefronts with inventory provided by third-party partners.

ButcherBox delivers 100% grass-fed, grass-finished beef, free-range organic chicken, pork raised crate-free, and wild-caught seafood directly to consumers' doors. 

Minneapolis-based Target Corp. operates nearly 2,000 stores and the Target.com e-commerce site.

Yesway started the year by expanding its footprint in two of its key markets.

The Texas-based convenience chain opened four new Allsup's locations in the first quarter of 2025, including three in New Mexico (Belen, Las Cruces, Chaparral) and one in Oklahoma (Ardmore). The four openings mark the 81st new store or major rebuild Yesway has completed over the past three and a half years.

"Through the effort and hard work of our exceptional teams, we have maintained the rapid pace of growth for which Yesway has become known," said Thomas N. Trkla, chairman, president, and CEO at Yesway. "The successful completion of 81 new stores or major rebuilds in just over three years is a remarkable achievement, and we extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who made it possible."

[READ MORE: Yesway expands portfolio with five new stores]

Each of the new, large-format Allsup's stores spans 6,277 sq. ft. and operates 24 hours a day. They offer a wide selection of products, including Allsup's "World Famous Burritos," Yesway private label snacks, and more. Most locations also feature a beer cave, Western Union services, ATMs, and cryptocurrency and digital currency ATMs.

"We're especially grateful to our Real Estate Site Selection team, New Store Integration team, and our Operations, Fuel, Marketing and Merchandising, and IT teams, as well as to our dedicated new store managers and associates," said Thomas Brown, Yesway's chief real estate officer. "Their collaboration and commitment drive our success, enabling us to deliver outstanding customer service."

Founded in 2015, Yesway operates 443 stores between its Yesway and Allsup’s banners across Texas, New Mexico, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Wyoming, Oklahoma and Nebraska.