News Briefs

Global value fashion retailer Primark is continuing its expansion in the United States – this time in the South.

Primark is expanding its footprint with three new store leases in Texas (The Parks Mall, Arlington), South Carolina (Haywood Mall, Greenville) and Georgia (Augusta Mall, Augusta). Spanning 96,400 sq. ft. of retail space across the three stores, the new locations mark the retailer’s entrance into South Carolina and Georgia. 

[READ MORE: Primark expanding in Virginia, Maryland — here’s where]

"We are proud to introduce Primark to South Carolina and Georgia for the first time, while also strengthening our presence in Texas, on the heels of our first opening in the state late last year," said Kevin Tulip, president of Primark US. "These expansions reflect our commitment to bringing Primark's unique combination of style, quality, and affordability, to even more shoppers in the US. We look forward to becoming part of these communities and providing families with a wide selection of fashion, beauty, and accessories at unbeatable value."

Primark operates nearly 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.

Primark is known for its budget prices, with denim starting at $10 and T-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.

Sally Beauty shoppers now can have beauty products delivered straight to their door via Uber Eats.

The beauty retailer, which specializes in hair color and care products, has partnered with the delivery service to provide on-demand delivery. The partnership marks Uber Eats’ first national beauty partnership.

“At Uber Eats, we’re constantly looking for new ways to meet our customers’ needs,” said Hashim Amin, Uber’s head of retail in North America. “Partnering with Sally Beauty brings professional-grade beauty products straight to consumers on-demand – making high-quality hair and beauty care more accessible than ever.”

Sally Beauty customers can now select from over 7,000 products, including hair color, hair care products, and items for skin and nails from proprietary brands, and have them delivered directly to their doorstep. Uber Eats users simply add items to their cart, choose a delivery time, and place the order.

“At Sally Beauty, our customers want access to their favorite products exactly when they need them – whether it's for a last-minute nail look or an at-home hair color refresh,” said Natalie Lockhart, group VP of strategy, customer insights & digital experience at Sally Beauty Holdings. “Being the first beauty retailer to partner with Uber Eats allows us to take convenience to the next level, further expanding our same-day delivery reach nationwide, making our quality products more accessible than ever before.”

[READ MORE: Sally Beauty, Instacart launch same-day delivery]

Founded in 1964, Denton, Texas-based Sally Beauty operates more than 3,700 stores worldwide.

A Chicago-based fast-casual Mexican chain is set to expand outside of the market.

Cilantro Taco Grill secured six franchise agreements in 2024, bringing 110 units into development in the chain’s first full year of franchising. As part of the deals, the chain will expand its footprint into Florida, California and Texas, in addition to opening new stores in its home state of Illinois.

Of the new stores planned, the Sunshine State will be home to the majority of them. Last year, Taco Cilantro Grill signed a 100-unit deal with restaurant operators Alex and Max Dreevs to develop locations in Florida.

“As we continue to expand into new communities, it’s fulfilling to know more guests will taste the authentic flavors of Jalisco and the love my family has put into the recipes from our home country of Mexico,” said Temoc Morfin, founder and CEO of Cilantro Taco Grill. “What started as a small taqueria with my family is now a thriving franchise further fueling the American Dream. Cilantro Taco Grill will always stay true to our mission – serving the food I grew up eating in Mexico and uplifting immigrant families like my own.”

[READ MORE: Chipotle to open 315 to 345 locations in 2025; Q4 sales, traffic up]

Founded in 2013, Cilantro Taco Grill operates 18 locations in the Chicagoland area. All besides one are corporate-owned.

A leading gift registry platform and a specialty menswear retailer are teaming up.

MyRegistry.com and Men's Wearhouse, part of the Tailored Brands, Inc. portfolio, are partnering to bring a “seamless gift list experience to customers.” The collaboration allows shoppers to create and manage personalized gift lists featuring their favorite Men's Wearhouse items, making gift-giving for all occasions more convenient.

Customers can build lists tailored to their wardrobe needs, whether for professional milestones, weddings, or everyday essentials. By integrating MyRegistry.com's universal platform, Men’s Wearhouse shoppers can ensure they receive the gifts that match their style and preferences

[READ MORE: Tailored Brands’ Q4 sales miss; outlook weak]

"We are excited about our partnership with MyRegistry,” said Whit Alexander, chief customer officer at Tailored Brands, Inc. “We continually look for ways to provide value to our customers, and no matter the occasion this adds a great new option for gift-giving at Men's Wearhouse.”

MyRegistry.com says that gift lists can drive sales, enhance customer engagement, and provide valuable insights into consumer preferences for retailers. Partner retailers can anticipate demand, tailor marketing efforts, and create a more personalized shopping experience by allowing customers to curate their ideal lists of products.

"Gift lists are a key component to every life milestone," said Oded Berkowitz, founder and CEO of MyRegistry.com. "This partnership extends the convenience of letting people know what you want into men's apparel, an underserved vertical."

Founded in 1973, Men’s Wearhouse operates more than 630 stores across the United States. MyRegistry.com has more than 1,800 partner retailers nationwide.

Zaxbys is deploying new artificial intelligence technology to improve drive-thru operations at its stores.

The quick-serve fried chicken chain has selected Berry AI’s Camera Timers to be used at its drive-thru locations. The AI technology leverages cameras to measure operational metrics like speed of service and line abandonment while preserving privacy for guests, only capturing anonymous operational data. Restaurants can use this data to identify bottlenecks in the ordering process and improve real-time decisions.

[READ MORE: Zaxbys sets sights on store expansion in Philadelphia]

"As our drive-thru operations evolve and we look to the future for our brand, we are excited to leverage AI with camera timers in partnership with Berry AI," said Sharlene Smith, COO of Zaxbys. "This state of the art technology will help us better understand and improve the drive-thru experience for our customers in a way traditional loop timers have been limited."

Berry AI’s other restaurant partners include Little Caesar’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, Wendy’s and more.

"Restaurant team members have embraced the tech as it suggests actions based on real-time bottlenecks, allowing team members to focus on higher priority tasks," said Eric Lam, CEO at Berry AI.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Zaxbys operates more than 970 stores in 17 states, with plans to enter two new states on the East Coast this year: New Jersey and Maryland.

Fast-growing global fashion brand Mango is replacing its  fragmented, outdated systems with an integrated, AI-powered, and data-driven planning framework.

To support its growth and improve operational efficiency, Mango is digitally transforming its merchandise financial planning, assortment planning and demand planning capabilities. The retailer has chosen enterprise AI software platform provider o9 to enhance its planning capabilities and foster more data-driven decision-making across its operations. 

[READ MORE: Mango to open 20 U.S. stores in 2025, with growth in these markets]

With a wide range of platform capabilities, extensive experience in fashion planning, and a deep understanding of planning complexities, o9 will support Mango as it advances its digital planning transformation. The o9 Digital Brain platform integrates key planning processes on a single platform, eliminating functional silos and enabling synchronized decision-making across teams. 

The platform’s future-proof architecture allows Mango to expand planning capabilities, develop its own data science models, and seamlessly scale the solution to support long-term growth.

“This partnership is a testament to Mango’s forward-thinking approach to leveraging technology for improved planning and decision-making,” said Chakri Gottemukkala, co-founder and CEO of o9. “By integrating its planning functions on the o9 platform, Mango will gain the agility, intelligence, and real-time decision-making capabilities necessary to achieve better business outcomes.”