STORE SPACES

The Clinic, Denver
Business is booming in the fast-growing business of medical and recreational cannabis. And the shops that specialize in the trade are taking their game up more than a few notches. In July, The Clinic, which operates some six stores in the Denver area and is expanding into other states, opened a flagship that shows just how much the industry has evolved from the sterile, sparsely decorated storefronts of just a couple years back.
Ikea partners with Red Cross to give customers unique window into Syria
Ikea has brought the horrors of the Syrian civil war home to customers at its flagship in Slependen, Norway. In a joint fundraising effort, the Swedish home furnishings giant, in partnership with the Norwegian Red Cross, has recreated the small, unfurnished apartment of a Syrian mother and her children in the middle of the store. The space is based on a real-life apartment in Damascus, according to CNN.

Dollar General to debut convenience-store format

Dollar General is planning to unveil a smaller-store concept designed around convenience. The new format, reportedly to be called DGX, is due to open in early 2017, with a unit in downtown Nashville, and another in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Top Retailers, Influencers Talk Innovation at X/SPECS
Department store retailer continues Canadian expansion

Nordstrom has opened its second full-line store In Toronto. The department store retailer opened a three-level, 199,000-sq.-ft. store at Yorkdale Shopping Centre on Oct. 21. It is the company's second location in Toronto, with the first, at CF Toronto Eaton Centre, opening in September.
British apparel brand has aggressive store plans for China

Starbucks isn’t the only company that has big plans for China. New Look, the British apparel retailer, is looking to expand to 500 stores over the next three years in China, Fortune reported. It currently operates a total of 850 stores globally, with 95 locations in China.
CBX taps marketing veteran as engagement director, branded environments

Nan Richardson, a veteran architecture/design/commercial real estate business development, marketing and public relations professional, has joined brand agency and retail design consultancy CBX as engagement director, branded environments. In her new position, Richardson will work to connect with prospects, build relationships and develop new business opportunities for CBX in the retail, restaurant, hospitality and commercial real estate industries. She will be based in Newport Beach, Calif.
SPECS reveals Tuesday keynote speaker

SPECS, the “Retail Event for Store Innovation,” announced that a highly acclaimed military general who is an expert on security and global affairs will open the second day of the program of its 53rd annual conference, which will be held March 12-14, 2017, at the Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee (Orlando), Florida.
North Face offers immersive experience on Fifth Avenue

The great outdoors has come to Fifth Avenue — courtesy of The North Face. The retailer, a division of VF Corp., is opening a two-level, 20,000-sq.-ft. flagship in the old Manufacturers Trust Company building, a New York City landmark of modernist architecture. (The official opening date is Oct. 26.)
First Look: Anthropologie debuts new format, Anthropologie & Co.

Anthropologie’ s experiential retailing concept takes center stage under its new store banner, Anthropologie & Co., with the first-ever location now open in Walnut Creek, Calif. The 30,000-sq.-ft. store is a visual treat, and features fully decorated showrooms, filled to the brim with custom furniture.