News Briefs

Rally House continues to grow its footprint in the Lone Star State.

The sports merchandise and gifts retailer has entered the Houston market with the opening of Rally House Houston Outlets in Texas City. It's the first of several locations the company plans to open in the Houston area. 

Rally House, which has more than 200 stores across 20 states, has been steadily expanding in Texas, where it currently operates 27 stores, including 21 in the Dallas/Forth Worth area. It’s also expanding in new states, opening its first store in Colorado, in Castle Rock, earlier this month.

Rally House stores offers a large selection apparel, hats, gifts and home décor representing local NCAA, NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and MLS teams in addition to locally inspired apparel, gifts and food. The Houston store carries many Texas fan-favorite teams, including the Texans, Astros, Dynamo, Rockets, Cougars, Aggies, Longhorns and more. 

“Houston is a market Rally House has been eager to expand into, and the opening of Rally House Houston Outlets could not come at a better time,” said Aaron Johnson, VP of marketing strategy, Rally House. "It's an exciting time to be a sports fan in Houston "From the rise of star quarterback CJ Stroud and the excitement around the Texans, to the Cougars second year in the Big 12 and college football right around the corner, Rally House Houston Outlets is going to be the go-to location in the area, year-round.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the United States is home to the largest clothing market.

The U.S. leads the global rankings in clothing expenditure, having the largest apparel market size valued at $351.35 billion, according to new research from Public Desire. With a total average annual spending of $1,500 per person on clothes, Americans purchase approximately 53 items each year, averaging around $28.30 per item. Public Desire noted that the high cost of popular brands contributes significantly to the average, with items like a pair of jeans costing $75.55 and Nike running shoes at $111.24.

Norway holds the second position when it comes to clothing market size. The Scandinavian nation differs from the U.S. by its relatively lower number of clothing purchases, with only 12 items bought per person annually. Despite this, Norwegians spend an average of $1,150 on clothes each year.

Following Norway, India is the third, with its apparel market revenue standing at $165 billion. Indians purchase about 24.2 clothing items each year, with an average value of $103.31 per item. China, Switzerland, Iceland, Denmark, Australia, the U.K. and Ireland round out the top-10 global apparel markets.

“It's interesting to see how different countries' cultures, economies, and societies shape their spending patterns,” said a spokesperson for Public Desire. “In the U.S., high market revenue and spending per person highlight the importance of fashion in American culture. In Switzerland, high spending per item shows a preference for quality and brand prestige. Norway's fewer purchases but higher spending per item suggest a focus on quality over quantity. These insights are valuable for fashion retailers and marketers to better understand and meet the varied needs of global consumers."

Roseville, Minn., is welcoming its first luxury spa.

Woodhouse Spa has signed a lease at Rosedale Center, a 1,142,972-square-foot property in Roseville, which is located in the heart of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro. 

Ninety percent of the chain’s 84 locations are owned by franchisees, and the spas range in size from 4,500-to-6,000 sq. ft. The new spa at Rosedale will be owned and operated by Amy Adams, a long-time Twin Cities Resident.

“We are focused on enhancing a new generation of retail spaces and Woodhouse Spa will be a welcome addition to an already strong line-up of local and national retailers,” said Lisa Crain, the VP of retail and general manager at Rosedale.

“The vision by our leasing, construction, operations, and development teams continues to ensure that the dynamic entertainment center will remain the Twin Cities’ premiere shopping destination for years to come.”

Other recent tenant additions to Rosedale Center include Lululemon, Anthropologie, Warby Parker, Hollister and Shake Shack. Dick’s Sporting Goods is scheduled to open there in October. The property’s re-curation is being led by JLL’s  national retail leasing department.

Two sister sporting goods and clothing brands are seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Bob’s Stores and Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) have filed a petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. In the filing, Dave Barton, CEO of both brands, said the companies need reorganization and debt restructuring following a default on a $29.4 million loan with PNC Bank. 

Frasers Group plc, the previous U.K.-based owner of Bob’s Stores and EMS, sold the brands to GoDigital Media Group (GoDigital) for $70 million in cash in 2022. Frasers, then trading as Sports Direct International, acquired the two brands out of bankruptcy in 2017 as part of a bid to boost its U.S. presence.

The companies are headquartered in Connecticut (parent GoDigital is headquartered in Los Angeles) and operate stores in the Northeast, as well as e-commerce sites. As of June 21, 2024, the Bob’s Stores e-commerce site said it is under construction and will be back soon with an “enhanced online shopping experience,” and the EMS website says everything is on sale in an “inventory blowout.”

Both sites indicate that stores are currently open. GoDigital, Bob’s Stores and EMS have so far not publicly commented on the bankruptcy filing.

Sally Beauty is now offering same-day delivery on thousands of items through a new partnership.

The beauty retail, which specializes in hair color and care products, has teamed up with Instacart to deliver products in as fast as one hour from more than 2,200 Sally Beauty store locations across the country. Customers can now select from over 7,000 products, including hair color, hair care products, and items for skin and nails from proprietary brands, delivered directly to their doorstep.

"Our partnership with Instacart builds upon our ongoing omni-channel strategy and commitment to enhance accessibility," said Natalie Lockhart, group VP of strategy, customer insights & digital experience at Sally Beauty. "We remain focused on putting our customers first by offering the latest technology and shopping options to ensure they have greater access to all their beauty essentials."

The move comes after Sally Beauty expanded its partnership with DoorDash earlier this year, growing its number of stores available on the platform to more than 2,000.

"We're thrilled to continue broadening our offerings beyond grocery by partnering with Sally Beauty to deliver an extensive range of beauty products," said Blake Wallace, senior director of retail partnerships at Instacart. "This partnership not only enhances Sally Beauty's e-commerce capabilities but also addresses the growing demand for quick delivery of everyday beauty products, ensuring customers can receive their essentials when they need them."

As of March 31, 2024, Denton, Texas-based Sally Beauty operated more than 3,130 stores.

Headquartered in San Francisco, Instacart partners with more than 1,400 national, regional and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 80,000 stores across North America on the Instacart Marketplace.

Chain Store Age offices will be closed on Wednesday, June 19, in observance of the Juneteenth holiday. We will reopen on Thursday, June 20.