News Briefs

Primark is continuing its U.S. expansion.

The global value fashion retailer will open a location at Potomac Mills in Woodbridge, Va. on April 10. The 32,000-sq.-ft. store will be Primark’s second in the state, with the first opening in July 2024 at Tysons Corner Center in Tysons. The retailer is continuing to expand its presence in the DMV (encompasses District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia) area with another lease signed at the Mall at Prince George’s in Hyattsville, Md.

With the opening at Potomac Mills, Primark will operate 30 stores in the U.S. across 12 states, with plans to reach 60 locations here by the end of 2026. The company has signed a lease for its first Manhattan storefront, a 54,000-sq.-ft. flagship in the Herald Square neighborhood. It also has signed several leases in Texas.

[READ MORE: Primark opens its first Texas store, with more to come — here’s where]

Primark is known for its budget prices, with denim starting at $10 and tee shirts at $4.50. It also features an extensive selection of licensed products, with collections such as Netflix, Disney and Marvel, as well as location-specific NBA and NFL apparel.

Founded in Ireland in 1969 under the Penneys brand, Primark operates 450 stores globally. The company is owned by Associated British Foods.

Whole Foods Market has entered a new partnership to provide an improved customer experience at select curbside pickup locations.

The Amazon-owned natural and organic foods grocer has teamed up with Vehicle Protection Structures (VPS) to install protective canopies over customer vehicles at curbside pickup locations at its stores in Portland, Maine; Omaha, Neb.; and Austin, Texas. The initiative aims to improve the customer experience at Whole Foods stores, protect employees from the elements and improve wayfinding for a smooth pickup process. 

VPS says that by shielding vehicles and employees from sun, rain, and snow, its canopies improve comfort while reinforcing a retailer’s commitment to customer satisfaction and employee well-being.

“Retailers know that curbside pickup is here to stay, and they’re looking for ways to make the experience as appealing as possible for their customers,” said Keith Busam, VP of business development at VPS. “With VPS structures, they’re not only enhancing convenience but also creating a more welcoming and intuitive space that improves traffic flow and reduces confusion. Whole Foods Market’s investment in covered pickup areas demonstrates their dedication to delivering an exceptional shopping experience.”

[READ MORE: Whole Foods Market opening new U.K. store]

Whole Foods Market has more than 535 stores in the U.S., U.K. and Canada, with nearly 90 stores in the pipeline.

(Editor's note: Image courtesy of VPS)

DoorDash is expanding the options customers have for payment.

The on-demand delivery platform is teaming up with artificial intelligence-based global payments and commerce network Klarna to offer Klarna’s flexible payment services to its customers. 

In the coming months, DoorDash customers will be able to utilize Klarna’s seamless range of payment options when purchasing items from retail partners as well as its DashPass annual subscription plan on the DoorDash site or app.

"As we expand DoorDash’s offerings—from groceries and beauty to electronics and gifts—flexible payment options are essential to meeting our customers’ needs," said Anand Subbarayan, head of money products at DoorDash.

When DoorDash customers reach checkout, they will see Klarna as an additional payment option, giving them more freedom to choose how they want to pay. Options will include:

• Pay in full allows customers to pay right away using Klarna’s seamless payments offering.
• Pay in 4 allows customers to pay in four equal interest-free installments.
• Pay later allows customers to defer payments to a future time, such as a date that aligns with their paycheck schedules.

"Our partnership with DoorDash marks an important milestone in Klarna’s expansion into everyday spending categories," said David Sykes, chief commercial officer of Klarna. 

Other alternative payment options offered by DoorDash include a cash-on-delivery feature that lets customers pay for their order with cash on eligible first-party orders fulfilled through its DoorDash Drive white label fulfillment platform.

In addition, customers ordering from a participating DoorDash restaurant partner using its Storefront commission-free online ordering system or Bbot order and pay at table technology can select “gift card” as their preferred payment option during the checkout process via an integration with Paytronix.

[READ MORE: DoorDash enables gift card, loyalty payment]

The chief executive of The Container Store has left the chain nearly two months after it exited bankruptcy.

Satish Malhotra has resigned from the home storage products and custom spaces retailer “to pursue other opportunities,” reported The Dallas Morning News, citing an internal memo. Malhotra joined the company as CEO in 2022 after previously serving as the chief retail and operating officer of Sephora. 

The Container Store board has authorized the formation of the “Office of the Chief Executive Officer” to be responsible for executing the company's overall operations and strategy, according to the report. Board chair Joel Bines will become executive officer and lead the office, and Martin Schumacher, chief transformation officer, will become chief commercial officer and part of the new leadership team, the report said.

The Container Store filed for bankruptcy in December, saying it had negotiated and solicited support for a prepackaged plan of reorganization and expected the entire process to take less than 35 days. In emerged at the end of January as a private company, noting it successfully refinanced its short-term debt and significantly reducing previous long-term debt. 

[READ MORE: Container Store exits bankruptcy]

The Container Store operates more than 100 locations nationwide. 

Walmart’s Canadian subsidiary is creating a new opportunity for sellers on its third-party marketplace to connect with online shoppers.

In an email to Chain Store Age, Walmart Canada said that retailers and brands selling products on its digital marketplace can now purchase sponsored product ads on its e-commerce site and mobile app through the newly enhanced Canadian Walmart Ads Platform, supported by Walmart Connect.

Launched in 2021 in the U.S. and Canada as a revamped version of the Walmart Media Group, Walmart Connect is designed to enable advertisers to drive more effectiveness with their overall media spend. 

The platform offers advertisers the ability to serve personalized, time- and context-specific ads across customer touchpoints including media placements on in-store TV walls and self-checkout screens, Walmart digital properties, mobile devices and corporate events.

In September 2023, Walmart began offering premium sponsored search placement via a new sponsored videos program to all Walmart Connect advertisers that are brand-registered in the Walmart Brand Portal. 

According to Walmart, Walmart Connect grew 30% for fiscal year 2024. With the new ad platform, the retailer says Canadian marketplace sellers will be able to boost product visibility by securing prominent ad placements.

The platform also enables marketplace sellers to directly manage campaigns with an auction-based marketplace and obtain access to in-depth analytics to track performance and make data-driven decisions.

Current and new Canadian Walmart Marketplace sellers can enroll in the program on the Walmart Canada site.

[READ MORE: Walmart Canada adds new channel to in-store advertising mix]

Headquartered in Mississauga, Ont., Walmart Canada operates a chain of more than 400 stores nationwide as well as an e-commerce site.

Pizza Hut is offering what it calls a "second screen companion" for college basketball fans.

As part of its sponsorship of the "March Madness" NCAA college basketball tournament (running through April 7), Pizza Hut is releasing "Hutty," an artificial intelligence-based chatbot available on its Instagram page. When activated, Hutty will react to in-game events, offer college basketball insights and provide commentary.

In addition, the chatbot will provide customers who engage with it surprise deals such as discount codes, buy-one-get-one offers, and free sides. Customers can visit a Hutty-themed section of the retailer’s e-commerce site to register to win limited-edition Pizza Hut merchandise, as well as free pizza for a year.

"Basketball’s biggest tournament is a time when fans are more engaged than ever, but many are watching alone," said Melissa Friebe, chief marketing officer of Pizza Hut. "Pizza Hut has always been about bringing people together, and now, with Hutty, we’re extending that experience into the digital space – turning every game into a shared moment, no matter where or how you’re watching."

Casey’s General Stores also recently introduced a "fun" chatbot named Darn-ell, which offers discounts and prizes, personalized coffee recommendations and playful "roast" humor that Casey’s says is delivered with "Midwestern niceness."

[READ MORE: Casey’s General Stores introduces AI-based coffee 'roaster' chatbot]

Pizza Hut, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands Inc., is headquartered in Plano, Texas and operates more than 19,000 restaurants in over 100 countries.