Store Expansion News: September update
Retailers and restaurants alike made headlines in September with store expansions and new formats.
Here are the major stories as reported by CSA, starting with the most recent.
- Ann Taylor, Loft to return to Canada The two women’s apparel retailers are making their return to Canada through an agreement with Centric Brands LLC — with distribution through Hudson’s Bay. This marks the first time Ann Taylor and Loft have been in the Canadian market since 2020 when the last of their stores went dark.
- Insomnia Cookies hits 300 stores The late-night bakery concept has reached 300 stores worldwide with the opening of its newest outpost in Seattle. The new store, located in Seattle's University District, is the brand's first location in the city.
- Rally House to expand in Ann Arbor The sports apparel retailer is taking over three former M Den stores in Ann Arbor, Mich., bringing its store count in the city to four and 23 in the state. The retailer won an auction to acquire the assets of the bankrupt University of Michigan athletic retailer.
- Ollie's opens new stores in Texas The retailer of closeout merchandise and excess inventory has opened 10 stores in Texas. The new locations were all former 99 Cents Only Stores, which Ollie's purchased in May.
- Whole Foods opens smaller format store in NYC Located in the Lenox Hill neighborhood of Manhattan’s Upper East Side, the 9,101-sq.-ft. Whole Foods Market Daily Shop is “designed to bring the freshest, high-quality ingredients to customers with a convenience that fits their fast-paced urban lifestyles,” according to the grocer.
- GU opens first U.S. store The lower-priced, more trend-driven sister brand of Japanese apparel giant Uniqlo has opened a flagship in New York City as its first store outside of Asia. The two-level store features 10,225 sq. ft. of apparel.
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- Hudson, Dufry selected for NYC-inspired retail project at JFK JFK Millennium Partners, the company chosen by the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey to build and operate the new $4.2 billion JFK Terminal 6, selected Avolta companies Hudson and Dufry to open numerous duty-free, travel convenience and specialty retail stores over the more than 28,000 sq. ft. of reimagined space in the new terminal.
- Freddy's adds 21 stores to pipeline The Kansas-based quick-serve chain has inked four separate development deals that will build the brand's presence across Illinois, Iowa, New Jersey and Texas, as well as open its first locations in Washington State. The deals will add a total of 21 restaurant locations to the franchise system.
- Little Caesars plans nearly 25 new stores The Detroit-based pizza giant will open 23 new restaurants in major markets this year such as Dallas, Los Angeles, San Antonio, Charlotte, Albuquerque, Brooklyn and Baltimore. Additionally, Little Caesars hosted several grand openings over the past few months, including for three new restaurants in New York City.
- L.L.Bean redesigns Maine flagship The outdoor apparel retailer is revamping its 220,000-sq.-ft. retail campus in Freeport, Maine to provide a more accessible and immersive shopping experience for customers. Major developments include reinstalling the store’s signature trout pond, which will feature multiple tiers, more viewpoints and enhanced accessibility for better fish watching.
- Foxtrot stages comeback The upscale convenience chain reopened its first location — on Chicago’s Gold Coast — on Sept. 5 under the new Foxtrot Café and Market banner. More locations are scheduled to reopen in Chicago and Dallas through 2025.
- Academy plans nine new fall stores The sporting goods chain planned to open nine stores in the third quarter of this year, including in larger markets such as Bloomington, Ind., Ft. Myers, Fla. and Birmingham, Ala. Academy has already opened three new stores this year, with plans to open a total of 15-17 new stores in fiscal year 2024.
