News

For a retailer, the allure of a historic building is obvious: A renovated historic space conveys a unique degree of character and a memorable and defining sense of place. It can help a brand or business stand out in a crowded and competitive retail marketplace and deliver that all-important experiential element.  

Gainesville retail pioneer Butler Enterprises announced the signing of P.F. Chang’s as a restaurant anchor at its Butler Town Center, now under development.   "It's an excellent fit for P.F. Chang's and we're really looking forward to sharing our farm-to-wok food philosophy with the entire Gainesville community," said P.F. Chang’s CMO Dwayne Chambers.  

Online giant extending brick-and-mortar footprint.   Amazon is taking its bookstore concept to the San Francisco Bay Area, which has a reputation for supporting independent bookstores.    The company will open a bookstore at Broadway Plaza, an open-air center in Walnut Creek, California, reported the San Francisco Gate.  Although no opening date was given, but Amazon is in the process of staffing up the store.   

Shoptalk, the “nextgen commerce event,” is still accepting applications for a new initiative that connects retailers and brands with technology companies — and provides complimentary tickets and travel reimbursement to the event.    Shoptalk will accept applications for its new “Hosted Retailers & Brands Program” until midnight on Friday, Feb. 17. More than 100 retailers and brands have already been accepted into the program. (Shoptalk will be held March 19-22, 2017, at the Aria in Las Vegas.)

Retail sales sizzled in January, beating expectations. Even the struggling department store sector managed to beat the odds.   Retail sales, excluding automobiles and gasoline, grew 0.4% in January, according to the National Retail Federation. (The numbers exclude automobiles, gasoline stations and restaurants)  

The formerly high-flying Nasty Gal has been brought down to earth — and not in a good way.   The bankrupt fashion retailer will close its two Los Angeles-area stores by the end of February, the Wall Street Journal reported.    On Feb. 8, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California approved the sale of Nasty Gal’s intellectual property and customer database to British online fashion retailer Boohoo.com, which is seeking to speed up its expansion in the United States. 

Walgreens Boots Alliance is losing its chief merchandising and marketing officer.   Linda Filler, Walgreens' president of retail products and chief merchandising and marketing officer, will depart the retailer effective April 1. Filler has been in the role since January 1, 2015. Prior to joining the drug store chain, she was president of Claire’s Stores. Before Claire’s, Filler served as was executive VP and chief merchandising officer for Sam’s Club,   

Online marketplace retailer Etsy.com is looking to expand its base of sellers by entering the estimated $40 to $44 billion craft supplies market, which is dominated by such retailers as Michael’s and Jo-Ann’s Stores.    In its largest expansion to date, Etsy announced it will launch Etsy Studio, which will sell craft supplies and offer DIY tutorials, in April. It is the first new marketplace Etsy has built from the ground up since it debuted in 2011.