STORE SPACES

Fast-fashion giant profit slides; remains upbeat about store growth
H&M isn’t letting a weak second quarter performance stand in the way of its ambitious expansion plans. The Swedish retailer’s profit in the quarter, which ended May 31, fell 17% to 5.357 billion Swedish kronor ($649.6 million), according to MarketWatch, as unusually cool weather dimmed sales of spring clothing and a strong U.S. dollar added to its costs. The strong dollar will have a negative impact on purchasing costs for the third quarter and a neutral effect in the fourth, the chain said.
First Look: Target’s new 'Connected Living' in-store pilot
Target Corp. is testing some of the concepts from its innovative Open House format in San Francisco in a traditional store setting. The discounter has debuted Connected Living, an in-store experience dedicated to showing customers how connected products can work together to make life easier, more convenient and more efficient. The test is taking place in Target’s Ridgedale location in Minnetonka, Minnesota.

Saks Fifth Avenue, The Galleria, Houston

Saks Fifth Avenue has relocated its store in Houston’s The Galleria, opening a larger space that offers the ultimate luxury department store experience.
Johnny Rockets, Destiny U.S.A., Syracuse, New York

Johnny Rockets is celebrating its 30th anniversary year — and reaching out to millennials — with a brand refresh that does away with the company’s signature '50s nostalgia.
Eatery plans to open 80 locations in five years

East Coast Wings & Grill’s ambitious growth plans are poised to benefit from a data-driven approach to site selection made possible by the Buxton Analytics Platform.

The casual dining chain currently has 31 locations and has signed agreements to add 80 new restaurants across the country within the next five years. To ensure those restaurants are in the optimal locations, East Coast Wings & Grill partnered with customer analytics firm Buxton.
MBH appoints new principal

MBH Architects, Alameda, California, announced the appointment of a new principal, Dimple Manghani, who previously led the retail team as a senior associate and studio director.

A licensed architect and a LEED accredited professional, Dimple has 12 years experience building relationships with such clients as Williams-Sonoma, Levi’s, and H&M. Additionally, she is responsible for the acquisition of the firm’s luxury retail clients, including Dior and Tiffany & Co.
Fast-fashion giant’s ambitious plans include 425 new stores

Swedish retailer H&M will opens its 4,000th store as its expands its global footprint and ramps up e-commerce in 2016.

The company plans to open a total of 425 new stores this year, and expand its e-commerce efforts to Japan and 10 additional markets.

The global retailer disclosed its aggressive physical and digital growth plans with the release of financial results for the period ended Feb. 29, which were negatively affected by the strong U.S. dollar.
And the Store of the Year is…
Retail facilities veteran loses cancer fight

Carl Nottberg, a veteran retail facilities executive, lost his battle with cancer on March 14, 2016.

Nottberg, senior VP of development at EMCOR Facilities Services, was suffering from multiple myeloma, a relatively uncommon form of cancer that attacks the plasma cells in the bone marrow.
Trendspotting: Skyline Signs Tell the Tale (And SPECS Show Wrap-Up)

This week I’d like to discuss the re-emergence of skyline signs, but first allow me to offer a quick thank you to the entire Chain Store Age and SPECS Show teams for executing a trade show I won’t soon forget.

Of course, I’m talking about last week’s show at the beautiful Hilton Anatole in Dallas, #SPECS2016.