News Briefs

Convenience chain Yesway has added a technology veteran to its C-suite.

The company, which operates stores under the Yesway and Allsup’s banners, has named Robert Hampton as its new chief technology officer. In the role, he will lead Yesway's information technology strategy and oversee all aspects of enterprise technology, digital transformation, cybersecurity and innovation.

Hampton has more than 20 years of executive technology leadership experience. He joins Yesway following nearly a decade with convenience and fuel retailer Jacksons Companies, where he served as chief information officer and VP of technology solutions & innovation. Previously, Hampton held senior technology leadership roles at global infrastructure firm AECOM.

"We are thrilled to welcome Robert to Yesway," said Tom Trkla, Yesway's chairman, CEO and president. "Robert is a highly respected technology leader with a rare combination of hands-on technical depth, retail industry knowledge and strategic leadership experience. His ability to modernize platforms, scale operations, and lead transformational initiatives will be instrumental as we continue to expand our footprint and enhance the experience for our customers, team members and partners."

Yesway says that Hampton's leadership will help ensure the company continues to leverage technology as a “strategic advantage while supporting the company's rapid expansion and long-term growth objectives.”

"I am excited to join Yesway at such an important stage in the company's growth," Hampton said. "Yesway has built an impressive platform with a strong culture and a clear vision for the future. I look forward to partnering with the leadership team to advance our technology capabilities, support innovation across the organization, and ensure we are well-positioned to scale efficiently while delivering exceptional experiences for our customers and teams."

[READ MORE: Cal's Convenience exec joins Yesway C-suite]

Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, Yesway operates more than 445 stores across nine states in the Midwest and Southwest.

One of the Northeast’s leading third-party management companies has landed two new contracts in New Jersey in the opening weeks of 2026.

North Plainfield, N.J.-based Levin Management Corp. (LMC) will now be managing two more centers for a long-time client: The Shoppes at North Brunswick in North Brunswick and the Inman Grove Shopping Center in Edison.

Together, the two properties total nearly 260,000 square feet.

“The ownership is familiar with our capabilities and wanted to bring that same level of consistency to these assets,” said Joseph Lowry, LMC’s senior VP of acquisitions and business development.

The 147,000-sq.-ft. Shoppes at North Brunswick holds 47 tenants that include Starbucks, Chipotle, Bath & Body Works, Men’s Wearhouse, Crumbl Cookies, Banana Republic, Loft, Big Club Pilates, Orangetheory Fitness and Paris Baguette.

The center attracts 2.4 million visitors a year, according to Placer.ai.

The 113,00-sq.-ft. Inman Grove in Edison draws 1.4 million visitors a year by Placer.ai’s count. Tenants there include The UPS Store, CSL Plasma, Verizon, , Kumon, Wells Fargo, Taco Bell, Subway and Gyros and Wings. 

Gopal Supermarket, a new Indian grocer, will fill the anchor space formerly occupied by Stop & Shop at Inman Grove and is expected to open soon.

The Shoe Palace and DTLR banners of JD Sports North America are digitally placing orders and performing checkout with mobile devices at more stores.

DTLR, a youth-oriented activewear retailer, and Shoe Palace, a footwear and apparel chain, began deploying the Jumpmind Commerce and Inventory solutions on Adyen Castle S1E2L Android “all-in-one” devices across a combined 450 store locations nationwide in January 2025.

The retailers recently migrated both fixed and mobile registers at an additional 200 DTLR and Shoe Palace stores to the Jumpmind Commerce platform in one day and with no personnel needed on site. The stores were rebranded from City Gear stores acquired by JD Sports.

In addition to obtaining multi-language and multi-currency support at the POS, associates can also perform “endless aisle” customer fulfillment through seamless integration with existing order management systems. 

And beyond accepting payments, the mobile devices facilitate a seamless checkout experience for customers, enabling associates to check out customers from anywhere on the sales floor. Makira served as systems integrator on the implementation project.

"Our rollout of Jumpmind Commerce Point of Sale across the City Gear stores we’ve recently taken over and will soon rebrand to DTLR is a testament to the platform’s ability to support our business as we continue to scale and expand," said DTLR CEO Todd Kirssin. "The agility and speed it gives our teams is exactly what we expected when we partnered with Jumpmind, and they’ve delivered as promised." 

[READ MORE: JD Sports Canada pursues digital transformation] 

Established in 1981 in England, JD Sports is a multichannel retailer of branded sports and casual wear with over 3,000 stores in 32 territories worldwide. 

The parent company of Journeys and other footwear brands is embarking on a major initiative to evolve its IT operating model.

Genesco Inc. said the move to the new model is designed to improve speed and scalability, accelerate AI-enabled innovation and automation, and more closely align technology capabilities with the company’s evolving business priorities. In a statement, Mimi E. Vaughn, Genesco board chair, president and CEO, said that the move follows a comprehensive review.

As part of the transformation, Genesco said is partnering with a leading global technology provider and adopting new tools and ways of working. The new operating model is expected to be implemented in phases and the company expects that some positions will be impacted within its IT organization. Genesco said it is committed to supporting affected team members through the transition.

[READ MORE: Genesco in reorg to drive growth, names CEO of new Journeys Global Retail Group]

Genesco’s brands include Journeys, Little Burgundy, Schuh and Johnston & Murphy. The company operates more than 1,240 retail stores and branded e-commerce websites.

A fast-casual hamburger chain is expanding its reach via a new partnership.

Five Guys is bringing approximately 800 of its locations onto the ezCater platform, which will give the brand access to corporate catering orders from workplaces nationwide. The partnership helps to scale Five Guys’ national catering program and capture spend from organizations investing in food to boost productivity and office attendance.

"A good meal can turn an ordinary workday into a great one,” said Molly Catalano, chief marketing officer at Five Guys. "Employers are looking for ways to get their teams excited about coming together, and there's something special about a Five Guys burger bar where everyone gets exactly what they're craving. EzCater helps us bring that experience to more teams, making it easy for everyone to build their meal their way at the office.”

On ezCater, organizations can easily order catering from small group bundles to larger build-your-own bars from Five Guys that allow employees to customize their burgers, hot dogs and sandwiches.

[READ MORE: Del Taco, ezCater expand catering collaboration]

“Workplaces are hungry for a brand like Five Guys. We are seeing a 16% jump in orders for the burger category in 2025, making this the perfect time to bring their menu to our customers,” said Cindy Klein Roche, chief growth officer at ezCater. “We are thrilled to help Five Guys grow their catering business, while also helping employers build a more productive, connected workforce through food.”

Headquartered in Arlington, Va., Five Guys operates more than 1,900 locations in 29 countries.

[READ MORE: Ace Hardware streamlines frontline hiring]