News

Home furnishings retailer heading West
Crate and Barrel is going to try its luck in Nevada.

The home furnishings retailer has signed a lease to open a store at Downtown Summerlin, Summerlin, Nevada, a Howard Hughes Corp. development. The 106-acre retail and entertainment center is located in the Summerlin master planned community.
Meijer and Supervalu join cage-free crusade
There are going to be a lot of happy chickens roaming free in the coming years as retailer after retailer establish dates by which they will offer only cage-free eggs.

Meijer and Supervalu recently announced plans to source only cage-free eggs by 2025, joining Delhaize and Albertson’s who earlier this year set 2025 as their cage-free deadline. Ahold USA earlier this year also indicated it would be cage-free by 2022. Walmart and Costco have also announced cage-free commitments as have some major food suppliers such as Nestle.

Phillips Edison Grocery Center REIT II strengthens portfolio with acquisition

Phillips Edison Grocery Center REIT II announced the acquisition of the 67,280 sq. ft. Lakewood City Center in Lakewood, Ohio.

The shopping center is anchored by a 39,400 sq. ft. Marc’s grocery store, the No. 2 grocer in the Cleveland area. Additional retail includes: Gamestop, Best Cuts, Pet Supplies Plus, the UPS Store, Boston Market, Marco’s Pizza, Ace Cash Express, T-Mobile, Palm Beach Tan, and Chipotle Mexican Grill.
Good news for retailers in March jobs report

March was a solid month for U.S. job makers, with retailers leading the way.

The retail industry — excluding autos, gasoline and food services — added a solid 40,000 jobs in March, the National Retail Federation reported on Friday. The job market overall saw growth of 215,000 jobs in the month of March.

Retail has added an average of 52,000 jobs per month over the last three months.
It’s official: California hiking minimum wage to $15; New York looks to follow

In a move that will directly impact retail and fast-food chains, California legislatures approved a plan to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2022, which will give the state the highest minimum wage in the nation. The measure will be signed into law on Monday by California Gov. Jerry Brown.
Hip online retailer goes offline with invitation-only store

Online fashion site Revolve has entered the world of physical retail with what the brand describes as a “social club.” And similar to an exclusive high-end club, it’s got a members-only model.
Tech Bytes: Three Developing Trends in Online Delivery

Online delivery is a retail technology niche undergoing active evolution. Consumers are expecting a wider range of goods available in a shorter period of time than ever before. Here are three ways providers are responding:

Eliminate the Middleman
TopGolf signs lease for first northeast location

Edison, N.J. -- X Team International announced that partner, Welco Realty has completed a 65,000 sq. ft. lease on behalf of Hartz Mountain Industries for the first northeast location of Topgolf, which will join Edison Towne Square in Edison, New Jersey.

Topgolf will be a stand-alone venue as part of a larger retail development for Edison Towne Square, which is situated on the site of the former Ford Motor plant located one mile south of the intersection of the NJ Turnpike and I-287. The venue is slated to open between fall 2016 and winter 2017.
Coffee giant among first to roll out new media platform

Starbucks is one of the first brands to leverage a new music and entertainment media platform from PlayNetwork.

To further increase both customer and employee engagement, Starbucks can now enable partners (employees) to select in-store playlists and provide a uniquely curated listening experience for customers. The chain is using the platform in more than 7,500 U.S. stores.
No bonuses or pay hikes for Macy’s execs

Macy’s CEO and other top executives are feeling the pain of the chain’s disappointment financial performance in 2015.

The board decided to award no bonuses after the chain fell short of its sales, cash flow and earnings goals, Macy’s said in a regulatory filing, according to Bloomberg.

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