STORE SPACES

First Look: Walmart’s next-gen test stores
So what’s the bottom line? By rethinking stores and testing new ideas with customers in real-life stores, we are improving customers’ experiences and making it easier than ever for them to get what they need as quickly and easily as possible.
REI in gym partnership
Outdoor retailer REI is setting up shop in a fast-growing gym niche. REI and Momentum TM Indoor Climbing are launching REI Co-op Climb, which will serve as a hub for climbing gear, programming and events at each of Momentum’s new climbing gyms. Expert instructors from REI’s Outdoor School will help Momentum members and guests gain skills and confidence through gym to crag classes.

Legendary outdoor gear retailer to open first urban store

L.L. Bean is going to set up camp in Boston. The Freeport, Maine-based retailer will open its first permanent, full-line store in an urban location in spring 2018, in the Seaport District of Boston. The store will feature active and casual apparel, outerwear, and footwear, as well as outdoor lifestyle gear curated for residents and visitors of Boston. At 8,600 sq. ft., the Boston outpost will be significantly smaller than Bean’s traditional retail footprint.
Supermarket Trends: Technology, food safety and sustainability are top of mind

The supermarket industry is constantly changing. Consumer food choices and how they shop, frequent regulation modifications and new technologies to integrate are just a few things we gathered from recent customer input concerning the most pressing issues for the industry. As 2017 rolls along, there are four emerging trends we see that grocery marketers should be aware of for the remainder of the year. 1. Impact of the digitally engaged food shopper on retail facilities
Nordstrom partners with Hollywood celeb on wellness pop-up

Nordstrom is welcoming its newest retail curation — one that is centered on wellness. The department store chain is creating an experience around goop, the modern lifestyle brand founded by Gwyneth Paltrow, through its Pop-In@Nordstrom concept — an ongoing series of themed pop-up shops. Pop-In@Norstrom, which was developed and curated by Olivia Kim, VP of creative projects at Nordstrom, is designed to feature a different brand of new, often exclusive merchandise every four to six weeks.
Canada Goose winging its way to new locations

Canadian outwear brand Canada Goose is continuing its expansion, both offline and online. The company will open two flagship stores this fall, in London and Chicago. It also plans to expand its e-commerce channel to seven new markets including Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg and Austria.
Saks opens unusual health and wellness mecca

Shoppers at Saks Fifth Avenue’s Manhattan flagship can now take a fitness class taught by ex-cons in addition to shopping for the latest fashions. They can even learn how to meditate. The luxury department store has transformed its second floor into a health and fitness hub dubbed The Wellery. The 16,000-plus-sq.-ft. space is comprised of 20 individual spaces offering everything from fitness classes and exercise equipment to athleisure apparel and specialized beauty treatments. It will be open through October 2017.
Young women’s apparel retailer to open Chicago flagship

Canada’s Aritzia Inc. is expanding its Chicago footprint as it targets both brick-and-mortar and online expansion. The fashion retailer will open a flagship on Rush Street in Chicago this fall. The Vancouver, British Columbia-based company already operates a store in the Windy City, at Water Tower Place.
Jet.com ventures into physical retail
Celebrate best in class design — and the Store of the Year

The Retail Design Institute’s most prestigious event is returning to New York. The Institute will hold its 46th Annual Design Awards Gala & Fundraiser at Current at Chelsea Piers, overlooking the Hudson River and Chelsea Piers marina, on May 24, 2017, from 6-9 p.m. The event will celebrate Best in Class Design projects from around the world, and also the winner of the coveted Store of the Year award. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Institute's 2017 Student Design Competition Prize Fund.