News Briefs

Old Navy is once again promoting back-to-school shopping with a money-back guarantee.

For the second consecutive year, the retailer, a division of Gap Inc., is offering a one-year guarantee on all school uniforms. Old Navy promises to provide a full refund if products don’t stand up to the wear and tear of a school year. (The original receipt is required for the refund.)

Old Navy's uniform pieces include polos, chinos, pleated skorts, bermuda shorts, V-neck sweaters, cardigans, straight leg pants and more. 

The guarantee applies to designated uniform products purchased in Old Navy stores and on its web site. Online, the styles included in the program are marked with a “1 year guara 3ntee” badge.

The retailer is also recognizing teachers with a special discount. Teachers will receive 10% off their purchase during back-to-school shopping season (from July 5 through September 9).

Old Navy has more than 1,200 stores around the world. 

A sizable number of consumers are opposed to dynamic pricing, and will stop shopping at businesses that use it.

A new survey from NerdWallet conducted by The Harris Poll found that more than a fifth (22%) of Americans say they would not spend money at a business that uses dynamic pricing. That number is higher among Gen Xers (29%) and Baby Boomers (26%).

“Dynamic pricing refers to the practice of businesses adjusting prices up or down to account for supply and demand factors. It’s relatively common and growing in popularity,” wrote NerdWallet’s Joe Yerardi in a blog post about the findings. “In fact, you’re likely patronizing businesses that use dynamic pricing — regardless of where prices stand.

However, a similar number (25%) of Americans say they would only spend money at a business that uses dynamic pricing when prices are down, giving them better deals on items. Younger generations (39% of Gen Z and 28% of millennials) were more likely to report their willingness to do so compared to older consumers (21% of Gen X and 20% of Baby Boomers).

Yerardi noted that consumers are already used to dynamic pricing they may not be aware of, including when booking vacation dates at a cheaper time and going to a cocktail place for “happy hour” deals.

[READ MORE: Wendy’s considers dynamic pricing pilot without 'surge pricing']

“What’s more, you altered your behavior as a consumer in response to the lower price, which is exactly how dynamic pricing is supposed to work,” he added.

The NerdWallet survey was conducted online April 15-17, 2024, by The Harris Poll and featured 2,082 U.S. adults.

The world’s largest smoothie chain is continuing its growth.

Smoothie King said it opened 18 new stores and signed 34 new store commitments during its second quarter of 2024. The store openings include new locations across markets in Georgia, Texas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Florida, New York, Kentucky, Colorado and Wisconsin. Smoothie King's new openings and commitments are in line with the brand's 2024 development growth goal of 100 new store openings for the year.

Notably, Smoothie King’s newest Atlanta store features a brand-new franchisee: famed Atlanta rapper and entrepreneur 2 Chainz. The artist opened a Smoothie King kiosk inside Atlanta's State Farm Arena in June 2024 in partnership with longtime Smoothie King franchisee and friend Philip Jones. The company's next non-traditional unit is scheduled to open on July 21 with an airport store located in Terminal A of the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

Smoothie King said the majority of its second quarter new store commitments (64%) were with existing Smoothie King franchisees. New agreements signed in the quarter will bring Smoothie King to the new markets of Grand Rapids, Mich. and Toledo, Ohio. The brand is slated to open six units in the Grand Rapids area and five units in Toledo.

"We are pleased with the continued growth of our development pipeline and our reporting this quarter exemplifies the strategic plan to extend the Smoothie King market reach and bring our product to new guests around the country," said Chris Bremer, Smoothie King’s chief development officer.

Founded in 1973, Dallas-based Smoothie King operates more than 1,300 units worldwide.

Target Corp. continues to expand its store network.

The retailer will open three stores on July 21, with locations in California, Missouri and Pennsylvania.m  The new stores are part of Target’s 10-year plan to build more than 300 stores over the next decade. 

Here are the details on the three upcoming stores:

•In California, Target will open an approximately 33,000-sq.-ft. store in Lomita. It will be the company’s 318th store in the Golden State and 127th store in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim market.

•In Missouri, Target will open an approximately 72,000-sq.-ft. store in St. Louis at 900 South Grand Boulevard. The company noted that local artist Cbabi Bayoc created a mural for the store which features a design representing the Missouri flag and the three rivers that meet in St. Louis.

•In Pennsylvania, Target will open an approximately 74,500-sq.-ft. store in Doyletown. It will be the chain’s 78th store in the state.

Target is also investing to enhance the vast majority of its nearly 2,000 stores. The projects range from full remodels to adding Ulta Beauty in-store shops, upgrading fixtures, supporting same-day services and more.

Shein has closed the doors of its latest pop-up activation but more are in the works. 

The global online fast-fashion retailer held a four-day pop-up event in the heart of downtown Montreal from July 11-14. More than 10,000 shoppers visited the space, which was designed to transport visitors back in time with its retro atmosphere.

The pop-up showcased Shein’s apparel collections with fashions for women, men and kids. In addition to clothing, the brand’s lifestyle offerings were on display, from makeup and home decor to pet accessories and more.

The pop-up featured a nail bar offering complimentary nail designs and a retro-chic photo booth. Guests also had the opportunity to redesign their pre-used garments at the on-site customization studio, where they could give new life to their wardrobes with an array of heat-pressed patches.

[READ MORE: Shein to expand U.S. footprint with new supply chain office]

The pop-up event included a clothing donation drive, encouraging visitors to contribute their gently used clothes. A significant number of visitors  participated in the initiative, according to Shein, donating a variety of clothing items to support the Old Brewery Mission, which works with people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Montreal.

Shein will return to Montreal and Toronto later this summer, providing attendees at the Veld Music Festival in Toronto and ÎleSoniq Music Festival in Montreal with themed pop-up activations and exclusive on-site makeovers.

DeCicco & Sons supermarkets, whose choice meats and premium baked goods are standard fare in kitchens across all of Westchester County, N.Y., is making its first move out-of-state. 

The grocer has signed a lease to occupy a 20,000-sq.-ft. space in Greenwich, Conn., just about five miles over the New York border, according to the Rockland/Westchester Journal News. 

DeCicco’s is known for its high-quality seafood and meat departments, which offer fresh as well as prepared items such as shrimp platters and store-prepared chicken-mozzarella-and spinach sausages.

The family-owned company was founded in the Bronx in 1973 by John DeCicco Sr., who turned the high-quality provider into a brand known throughout Westchester. It operates stores in Ardsley, Armonk, Bedford, Brewster, Eastchester, Harrison, Larchmont, Millwood, Pelham, and Somers. 

"Our Greenwich location represents a milestone for us," chief marketing officer Chris DeCicco told the Journal News. "We're not just opening a store; we're bringing our 50-year legacy of providing the finest selection of groceries, prepared foods, and specialty items to a new location.”

DeCicco’s is committed to high sustainability standards, recycling heat generated by refrigeration equipment to create hot water and heat its stores. The Greenwich store will be constructed using Pozzotive, a building material that incorporates recycled glass into concrete and reclaimed brick.