News

Total Wine to make Gainesville debut at Butler North
Butler Enterprises has signed the first Total Wine in the Gainesville market to join the array of anchors at Butler North, the next step in the multi-year expansion of iconic Butler Plaza. The 20,000-sq.-ft. store is expected to open in early spring 2017.
Nike (factory), Lubbock, Texas
Nike’s newest factory store, in Lubbock, Texas, draws inspiration from the area’s local sport culture, with special emphasis on its deep roots in football.

The local imagery in the store includes a declaration to be “Texas Tested,” which responds to the famous suggestion that if you can pass the Texas test, you can pass any test.

GBT announces first development in Arkansas

Little Rock, Ark. -- GBT Realty Corp. announced that it has acquired a 28.8-acre site for $4.3 million to build its newest retail development located along Interstate 30 in Benton, Arkansas. Construction is expected to begin in April on The Shoppes of Benton, a 170,000-sq. ft. regional shopping center, which is slated to open late summer 2017.
Minneapolis market next up for Meijer

Market expansion into the Minneapolis market may be the next step for Meijer, The Grand Rapids Press reported last week, confirming that the grocer acquired 30 acres of land in a Twin City suburb. "I can confirm Meijer has purchased property in Brooklyn Park, Minn.," Frank Guglielmi, Meijer senior director communications, told The Grand Rapids Press.
After hot holiday, Francesca's names new CFO

Francesca’s says its fourth quarter financial results show that the retailer's growth initiatives are bearing fruit, as the company posted a big jump in same store sales over the holidays.

For the fourth quarter ended Jan. 30, same store sales at Francesca's increased 11%. Net sales increased 25% to $134.6 million from $107.6 million in the prior year quarter. Net income totaled $14.7 million, compared to $6 million in the comparable prior year period.
Amazon vet takes senior tech post at Nordstrom

Nordstrom Inc. has named Kumar Srinivasan, a former technology executive at Amazon.com who has also experience with e-commerce technology providers, as CTO.

Srinivasan served as VP of Amazon Web Services from 2005-2008 and general manager of Amazon Payments from 2008-2010. More recently, he co-founded SaaS-based customer engagement platform Evocalize in 2012. Srinivasan also served as CTO of consumer-generated content platform Bazaarvoice from 2011-2012 and chief product and technology officer of social commerce site Lockerz.com from 2010-2011.
Specialty grocer meets delivery demand

Ethnic grocery chain H Mart is expanding its partnership with Instacart nationally.

Lyndhurst, New Jersey-based H Mart, which operates more than 45 U.S. and Canadian stores, specializes in Asian grocery products. H Mart is now offering Instacart deliveries in as little as one hour to consumers in Philadelphia. Coming soon, the retailer will also offer Instacart services in markets including Orange County, Washington, D.C., suburbs, Atlanta, Chicago suburbs, Los Angeles, and Houston. Instacart prices will match H Mart in-store prices.
Online jewelry retailer continues mall expansion with 'Webroom' format

Online fine jeweler Blue Nile is set to open its first physical location outside of New York City in an ongoing effort to reimagine the jewelry buying experience.

Seattle-based Blue Nile said it would open a store at Tysons Corner Center mall in Fairfax County, Virginia by mid-summer as part of a strategy to open four locations this year.
New Restoration Hardware program offers shoppers more exclusivity

Home furnishings retailer RH (Restoration Hardware) is rolling out a new membership program that aims to reimagine the luxury shopping experience by adding an element of exclusivity.

The company has announced the launch of the RH Grey Card. For a $100 annual fee, the RH Grey Card provides 25% savings on everything RH, every day, across all of its brands – RH, RH Modern, RH Baby & Child, RH TEEN and RH Contemporary Art.
Chip-card payment system delays costing retailers

Delays in the required certification of payment terminals that accept credit and debit cards with embedded chips are frustrating many retailers, particularly midsized ones, and also costing them as, since Oct. 1, stores that cannot accept chip cards have had to shoulder the cost of fraud — and banks are not shy about passing along the bill, the New York Times reported.