News Briefs

For its third year, Saturday Night Nitro is returning to the Mall of America, giving guests a chance to see wrestling action in person.

America’s largest shopping mall will host Saturday Night Nitro, presented by F1RST Wrestling on Sept. 7 in the Huntington Bank Rotunda. Previous guests have included WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam, former AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy, along with Matt Hardy, Victoria, and Erick Rowan. This year, AEW fan favorite Danhausen will join the lineup. 

The festivities for the all-ages event begin on Friday, September 6 with the F1RST Wrestling Fan Fest at The Fair on 4 from 6 – 9 p.m. Fans will have the opportunity to meet the wrestling stars, enjoy axe throwing, indoor go-karts, and indulge in food and craft cocktails.

“Originally we wanted to pay homage to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) by bringing professional wrestling back to Mall of America,” said Chris Grap, VP of experiential at Mall of America. “What F1RST Wrestling delivered to their fans has far exceeded that initial vision – making it one of our biggest events of the year. It’s a night of top tier talent, full of surprises, that’s not to be missed."

Tickets for this year's Saturday Night Nitro are on sale now.

At 5.6 million sq. ft., Mall of America, located in Bloomington, Minn., is the largest shopping and entertainment complex in North America with up to 520 world-class retail stores and restaurants, and several entertainment attractions.

BJ’s Wholesale Club is looking ahead to 2025.

The membership warehouse club retailer said it will open a location in Hanover, N.J., and one in Southern Pines, N.C., early next year. The openings will mark BJ’s 25th club in New Jersey and 10th in North Carolina.

In addition, BJ's will open its first location in Kentucky (Louisville) next year, which will mark its 21st state of operation. The upcoming entry into the Bluegrass State continues the chain’s growth beyond the Northeast. 

Earlier this year, BJ's said it would open eight locations across the Southeast, Midwest and Northeast in its current fiscal year. (See the list of locations at end of article.)

BJ's hs been expanding its footprint beyond the Northeast. It entered Tennessee and Alabama in 2023, and at the start of 2024, opened its 37th club in Florida. 

 “As we continue to expand our footprint along the East Coast and beyond, we look forward to helping more families save up to 25 percent off grocery story prices every day,” said Bill Werner, executive VP, strategy and development, BJ’s Wholesale Club, which operates 244 clubs and 177 BJ's Gas locations in 20 states. 

Here are the eight locations BJ's previously announced. 

•Maryville, Tenn,

•Myrtle Beach, S.C.

•Palm Coast, Fla.

•West Palm Beach, Fla.

•Carmel, Ind. 

•Staten Island, N.Y.

•Brooksville, Fla.

•St. Johns, Fla.

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.

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.”

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.