News

COLLEGEDALE, Tenn. — McKee Foods, the makers of Little Debbie Snacks, unveiled a new Little Debbie logo, the third version of the logo since the brand was introduced in 1960.

Consumers can expect to see the revamped logo on Little Debbie cartons throughout the coming months. Based on current sales, the redesigned logo will appear on more than 800 million Little Debbie cartons annually.

Madison, Ala., city officials didn't want just any development for its last available commercial tract, a 28-acre property along a major thoroughfare. They wanted to bring in retailers currently unavailable in the area.

They approached Target and Brentwood, Tenn.-based GBT Realty Corp., a developer known for its Target-anchored developments.

"Madison told us they wanted Target," explained George B. Tomlin, president and CEO of GBT Realty. "If you help us, they said, we'll participate financially in the development of the property."

Go offline, young man: That appears to be the mantra of e-commerce merchants these days.

As competition in the world of online retailing heats up — with Amazon's ever-burgeoning dominance posing the biggest threat — more pure-players are taking the brick-and-mortar plunge. It's a reminder, many experts say, of the strong appeal of the in-store experience — even when stacked up against the convenience of online shopping.

Young chefs are opening restaurants in urban neighborhoods

In New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Denver — and other major cities across the country — creative young chefs are opening their own restaurants.

"In New York, the trend isn't all that new. Think of Andre Soltner, Jean-Georges, David Chang and others," said Faith Hope Consolo, noted trend-watcher and chairman of Douglas Elliman's Retail Group in New York City.

I visited my first Von Maur store in 1999, a decade after I relocated from southern boomtown Atlanta to Lincoln, Neb., a sleepy college town that only really wakes up on Husker football Saturdays. Today I am back home in Baton Rouge, La., still no bustling metropolis, but the food and football trump.

John Bucksbaum discusses post-recession realities

Bucksbaum Retail Properties opened for business in April 2012. The Chicago-based company has already opened one project and is working on four more.

The 53,000-sq.-ft. Kingsbury Center near North Chicago has opened with four tenants: Buy Buy Baby, PetSmart, Road Runner Sports and Jimmy Johns. It is a joint venture with Chicago-based Structured Development.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Senate approved the long-debated Internet sales tax proposal, known as the Marketplace Fairness Act, by a bipartisan vote of 69 to 27. The Obama administration has already endorsed the bill, but before it can become law it must be approved by the House, where Republicans are split on the bill.

Chicago, Ill. — Dillard’s, a fashion apparel, cosmetics and home furnishings retailer, has selected OpinionLab to extend its omni-channel Voice of Customer program, including its digital, mobile and in-store experiences, with precise insight into what its customers want and need. 

Dillard’s will leverage OpinionLab’s patented software to get customer feedback at all touchpoints and gain actionable insight into how to deliver the best experience to consumers wherever they engage, research and shop.