News Briefs

Olive Garden will soon be expanding north of the border. 

Recipe Unlimited (Recipe), Canada’s largest full-service restaurant company, has announced that it has completed the acquisition of all eight Olive Garden restaurants located in Canada from Darden Restaurants, while also entering into a comprehensive development agreement with Darden to significantly expand the brand across Canada.

The acquisition of the existing Canadian Olive Garden locations, situated in key markets across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, marks a “strategic move” for Recipe to expand its portfolio, said the company, adding that its plans to expand the Italian chain in Canada underscore its commitment to “growth and diversification.”

[READ MORE: Darden Restaurants grows in Houston area – here's where]

"Our partnership with Recipe marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Olive Garden in Canada," said Brad Smith, president of Darden International & Franchising. "Their proven track record in operating beloved restaurants throughout the country will help us better serve our Canadian guests and team members, while unlocking new opportunities for growth."

Recipe operates more than 1,200 restaurants located across Canada, along with an international presence in the United States and the Middle East. The new acquisition brings its portfolio to 18 brands.

"We are incredibly excited to welcome Olive Garden into the Recipe family," said Frank Hennessey, CEO of Recipe. "Olive Garden is a brand with a strong legacy of success and a loyal following, and we see immense potential for growth across Canada. This acquisition and subsequent development agreement align perfectly with our strategy to expand our presence in the casual dining segment with leading brands that resonate with Canadian consumers."

Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the company’s listing on the Nasdaq Stock Market and a few other things as well.

The off-price retailer’s president and CEO, Eric van der Valk, and other members of the executive leadership team rang the opening bell of the exchange on Wednesday to celebrate the anniversary. Ollie’s is also celebrating opening of its 600th store as it expands into its 34th state.

Opening later this week, the store is located in Belmont, N.H., and is Ollie’s first ever in the Granite State. The company has been expanding its footprint by buying bankrupt leases. It expects to open roughly 75 stores in 2025.

“While we celebrate our 600th store milestone, we are focused on the tremendous white space opportunity ahead as we accelerate growth at a time when there are so many abandoned customers, product, and real estate in the marketplace,” said Valk, who took the reins at Ollie’s in February.

Valk also said it was honor to represent the Ollie’s team and ring the Nasdaq opening bell.

“We take a lot of pride in the way we operate our business," he said. "We value being a publicly traded company as it holds us to a high standard, provides financial transparency, and increases our visibility with valued business and merchandise partners.”      

(Photo Source: Nasdaq, Vanja Savic)

Department store retailer Von Maur is expanding its young women’s fashion banner into new and existing markets.

Dry Goods is opening four new stores in 2025, giving it a total of 88 locations in 24 states. The retailer also plans to relocate its Woodfield Mall location in Schaumburg, Ill. to a fresh new space within the center this fall. 

The new sites are part of retailer’s continued nationwide growth strategy.  Here are the locations of the upcoming stores:

• Lynnhaven Mall, Virginia Beach, Va.
• Lehigh Valley Mall, Whitehall, Pa.
• Freehold Raceway Mall,  Freehold, N.J. 

“With each new store opening, we are listening to our customers and delivering what they want: trendy, accessible fashion in an environment that allows them to express their individual style,” said Melody Wright, president of Dry Goods. “New markets present an exciting opportunity to expand the Dry Goods experience across the country.” 

Dry Goods offers a curated selection of junior contemporary clothing, shoes, jewelry and accessories. 

Younger consumers – who are often more financially challenged – are continuing to gravitate towards private label brands.

Gen Z’s share of private label spending is projected to surpass that of baby boomers by mid-2026, according to new data from Numerator. By 2026, it is estimated that 18.4% of Gen Z’s total CPG general merchandise spend will be spent on private label products. In comparison, baby boomers are expected to spend 18.3%. Millennials are expected to spend 17.5%, with Gen X not far behind at 17.2%.

Among all groups, private label spending has risen dramatically since 2019, showing that inflation has consumers across the board making different choices at the store.

More than four-in-10 (46%) Gen Z respondents and half (50%) of millennials said private label brands are a better value than national brands, while 27% of Gen Z and 24% of millennials said they are a worse value. Older consumers (55% of Gen X and 59% of baby boomers) are more likely to believe that private brands offer better value than their counterparts.

Favorite Brands

Numerator also found that select retailers have found success among younger shoppers with elevated private brands. Ulta Beauty’s private brands, Wild Fable and Cat & Jack at Target, Costco’s Kirkland Signature, and Trader Joe’s store brand products are the favorites of Gen Z and millennials. From 2019 to 2025, Gen Z’s spending on premium tier private label products grew from 25% to 30%, the highest increase among all generations (+5 points).

Boomers+ favor private labels at Lowe’s and Harbor Freight, mirroring their high rates of homeownership

[READ MORE: Survey: Millennials slightly favor brand loyalty, Gen Z prioritizes price]

While favorability of private brands are improving among young shoppers, there is still room for improvement, according to Numerator. Gen Z remains more critical of private labels due to concerns about quality, retailer trust and packaging and branding design.

Construction input prices rose in June, with big increases in two energy categories.

Construction input (includes energy, materials and equipment) prices increased 0.2% in June compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index date. Commercial construction input prices increased 0.3% for the month.

Overall construction input prices were 2.1% higher in June than a year ago. Commercial construction prices were 3.1% higher year over year and up a whopping 44.6% since February 2020.

Prices increased in two of the three energy categories last month, with natural gas and unprocessed energy materials prices up 5.9% and 1.4%, respectively. Crude petroleum prices decreased 0.1% in June.

The price of adhesives and sealants rose 8% in June compared to May, while construction machinery and equipment, and fabricated structural metal products both had price increases of 7%. The price of plumbing fixtures and fittings rose 4% in June. Copper wire and cable prices increased 1.3%.

Prices decreased month over month in June in several categories, including iron and steel (-3.8%), insulation materials (-0.9%), softwood lumber (1.9%) and steel mill products (5.5%).

“Prices for many of the inputs most directly affected by tariffs, like iron and steel, declined in June,” said ABC chief economist Anirban Basu. “While it is unclear how and when trade policy will affect construction materials prices, the impact was evident in June’s Consumer Price Index release: Prices for core goods excluding automobiles rose at the fastest pace since late 2021.”

Associated Builders and Contractors is a national construction industry trade association established in 1950 with 67 chapters and more than 23,000 members. 

A regional pizza chain is deploying artificial intelligence to assist guests placing orders by phone.

Piper Piper Pizza has tapped SoundHound AI for the new partnership, which allows guests to place phone orders for pick-up through a conversational voice AI agent. The new system understands natural speech and is trained on Peter Piper Pizza’s full menu, which the chain says will make ordering faster, easier and more efficient for both guests and staff.

“With families juggling busy schedules, convenience is key — but so is great food,” said Genaro Perez, chief marketing officer at Peter Piper Pizza. “This new AI-powered voice ordering experience gives our guests a fast, reliable way to place orders over the phone just by speaking naturally. Whether it's our made-from-scratch pizzas, bold-flavored wings, sweet treats or fan-favorite Piper deals, this innovation makes it easier than ever to get the food they love – without the wait.”

Now live across all Peter Piper Pizza locations in Arizona and Albuquerque, N.M., the SoundHound AI platform ensures that every phone call is answered no matter how busy the restaurant is. The voice AI agent can handle multiple calls simultaneously, freeing up in-store teams to focus on preparing orders.

[READ MORE: Jersey Mike’s Subs streamlines voice orders with AI]

“Peter Piper Pizza has implemented innovative AI agent technology that puts convenience and speed at the center of every guest interaction,” said James Hom, chief product officer at SoundHound AI. “We’re proud to partner with them to bring a smarter, faster ordering experience to their customers.”

A wholly-owned subsidiary of CEC Entertainment, LLC, Peter Piper Pizza operates more than 120 locations in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, California and Mexico.