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. 

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.

REI Co-op is staying within the organization for its new technology head.

The specialty outdoor retailer REI Co-op has named Guillaume Ledieu as CTO, effective immediately. He replaces Dan Shull, who will depart the co-op Friday, July 12, 2024 for a new opportunity as chief digital information officer of toy manufacturing and entertainment holding company Hasbro Inc.

Prior to joining REI in October 2023, Ledieu served as VP, business transformation at McCormick & Company, as well as in leadership roles at Glatfelter and Black & Decker. 

“I am thrilled to announce Guillaume’s promotion to senior vice president, chief technology officer,” said Eric Artz, REI president and CEO. “Guillaume joined the co-op in 2023 as our VP of foundation technology and has already had an incredible impact in his short time here. In his new role, Guillaume will be responsible for all technology at REI - delivering on current and future member, customer and employee needs, and helping to create a more modern and efficient REI.” 

“Since joining the co-op last year, my passion for the outdoors and my commitment to enabling the co-op’s mission have grown even stronger,” said Ledieu. “Joining REI was more than a career move; it was a personal project to be part of something bigger. I am incredibly excited about serving the co-op in this new capacity.” 

Ledieu is assuming the CTO role as REI plans to open 10 stores this year, following a disappointing fiscal 2023 when it reported net loss of $311 million.

[READ MORE: REI revenue, income fall in 2023]

Headquartered near Seattle, REI Co-op had 185 locations in 42 states and the District of Columbia as of Oct. 11, 2023. 

Ikea U.S. is trying to better serve the needs of Spanish-speaking shoppers online.

The U.S. subsidiary of the Swedish home furnishings giant has launched a complete, in-language e-commerce experience for Spanish-speaking customers. The new platform is designed to allow Spanish-speaking customers to shop, learn about the latest news from the brand, and discover promotional information such as how to join the Ikea loyalty program.

In addition to the new online shopping experience, Spanish-speaking customers can also receive support before, during, and after their Ikea purchase with a Spanish-speaking associate when calling the support phone line.  

"We are thrilled to offer this new platform to our Spanish-speaking customers," said Jessica Santiago Byrd, multicultural marketing communications manager for Ikea U.S. "At Ikea, we are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible shopping experience for all our customers. With this new platform, we hope to make it easier than ever for our Spanish-speaking customers to shop with us and become part of the Ikea family."

[READ MORE: Walmart expands online Spanish search capability]

Discount giant Walmart also seeks to ease the online shopping process for its U.S. Spanish-speaking customers with an expanded Spanish language search capability on its Walmart.com e-commerce site. 

The Spanish translation solution, built by Walmart Global Tech associates, uses natural language processing (NLP) to detect language, discern nuances and translate queries to deliver what the retailer intends to be a seamless, intuitive experience for customers. 

Walmart initially launched an online and mobile search translation feature, which enabled U.S. customers to search in Spanish for commonly purchased items.