News

Dallas -- 7-Eleven announced that it has completed a transaction to acquire 18 Open Pantry convenience store locations in Wisconsin, primarily in the greater Milwaukee and Madison markets. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

This new concept makes its retail debut with a unusual store design that has created lots of buzz. The central element of the 1,800-sq.-ft. boutique is a continuous surface made from 25,000 stacked paper bags‹that arches from floor to ceiling. Creating a warm atmosphere, the honeycomb-like structure contrasts with the existing industrial brick and concrete space. All clothing, accessories and jewelry are displayed on quartz slab tables, blackened steel hang bars and steel and glass vitrines.

Johannesburg, South Africa -- RedPrairie Corp., a global supply chain and retail technology provider with a local office in Johannesburg, has been selected by Woolworths South Africa to provide a workforce management solution (WFM) to help improve the in-store customer experience.

RedPrairie’s WFM solution leverages engineered standards and demand-based forecasts to optimize scheduling, task assignment, and performance measurement as well as compute and pay incentives.

New York -- Large emerging markets with an active online user base and solid infrastructure offer retailers the greatest e-commerce potential in the near-term, according to a new study by A.T. Kearney’s Global Consumer Institute. The study ranks the 10 countries with the greatest potential for e-commerce growth, and China tops the list, followed by Brazil (#2), Russia (#3), Chile (#4) and Mexico (#5).

By Jeff Weidauer, [email protected]

Showrooming is the latest in what appears to be a never-ending series of paradigm shifts for retailers. This is the relatively new activity where shoppers visit a brick-and-mortar store, look at a product, and buy it online. Best Buy is possibly the hardest-hit; it’s been slapped with the unfortunate moniker “Amazon Showroom,” which describes just how widespread this phenomenon has become.

A trailblazing town center is getting more space and a cosmetic update.

Easton Town Center (Columbus, Ohio) co-developers Steiner + Associates and The Georgetown Co. have announced that they will be adding more than 50,000 sq. ft. of new tenants this year and renovating more than 150,000 sq. ft. of existing space.

“Great projects evolve on purpose,” said Yaromir Steiner, CEO, Steiner. “Our vision for Easton has been, and continues to be, to challenge ourselves to make it better every day.”

The Promenade Shops at Centerra – located in Loveland, Colo. – is featuring a repeat of its “Promenade Kid Days” this summer.

The 2012 iteration offers a lineup of educational and entertaining events for children of all ages, held every other Tuesday through Aug. 14.

Each day features themes with corresponding activities such as horse-drawn wagon rides, mini train rides, face painting, balloon art, painting classes and emergency vehicle tours.

All activities are free and open to the public.

The timing of store openings in Mexico and Central America will be delayed by as much as 90 days due to what the company described as “process changes” that will increase the time required to open a store.

Wal-Mart de Mexico, S.A.B. de C.V. in an update to its expansion program disclosed to the Mexican Stock Exchange that it contemplated completing its 2012 expansion program 60 to 90 days later than originally planned. As a result new store openings for the current year will now range between 325 and 335 units.

Best Buy has been in the news a lot lately, with the scandal involving former CEO Brian Dunn and subsequent resignation of founder and chairman Richard Shulze on top of a fiscal year that saw the company’s GAAP loss widen to $3.36 cents per share and comparable-store sales slip 1.7%.

Understanding that an image overhaul was needed, Best Buy’s leadership went on the offensive at its annual shareholders’ meeting Thursday, ensuring attendees that the company would once again become the leader in consumer electronics and services.

CINCINNATI — Marketing solutions provide Dunnhumby has hired Nishat Mehta, formerly of MicroStrategy, to lead the company’s growing global partner business. As EVP global partners, Mehta will be responsible for driving the global expansion and commercialization of Dunnhumby solutions, such as digital advertising, targeting and measurement, through strategic partnerships with data companies that deliver a comprehensive understanding of consumer behavior across channels. He will be based in New York City.