ALDI, which has more than 1,100 stores in 31 states, has been remodeling older stores to bring them in line with newer stores in the small-format chain. A Chicagostore was closed for 11 weeks for a $1 million renovation that includes a higher ceiling and more natural light
Heinen’s Fine Foods plans to open a store in Barrington ILnext summer, marking the 17-store chain’s first foray outside northeast OH. Jeff and Tom Heinen, who own the 82-year-old Cleveland-based company, said they plan to open multiple stores in the greater Chicago area. 
Fresh Encounter, Inc. is seeking growth opportunities are sought throughout its existing markets during the next 18 months. The supermarkets occupy spaces of 9,000 sq. ft. to 36,000 sq. ft. in freestanding locations, strip centers and downtown areas. 
Marsh Supermarkets plans to spend $60 million over the next three years to build up to 10 new stores and remodel others.
Niemann Foods, Inc. is seeking new store location sites throughout its current markets throughout IA, IL and MO for its County Marketand Save-A-Lot formats. The supermarkets occupy spaces of 18,000 sq. ft. to 60,000 sq. ft. in freestanding locations, strip centers and downtown areas. 
Schnuck Markets, which earlier this month sold a handful of Memphis area stores to rival Kroger Co. again dealt with the company by acquiring seven Hilander stores in Rockford, Ill. from Kroger. Schnucks said it would operate the stores under the Hilander banner, at least initially.
Home Center/Hardware
Len-Co Lumber Corp. paid $2.95 million for a 60,000-sq.-ft. property in the Town of Tonawanda, N.Y.  Len-Co’s new location, its third, is a former Premier Wines flagship store. Len-Co operates stores in Buffaloand Williamsville, N.Y.  The family owned and operated pro dealer had been searching for a third location for about five years, the newspaper reported. It expects to open next spring in the Tonawandalocation.
Marvin’s Building Materials and Home Centers announced plans to open a new store in Fayetteville, Tenn.  The new store in Fayetteville is the first of at least two new stores planned for Marvin’s in 2012 and the first store in Tennesseeto take on the company’s new-store format. It will soon be under construction at the former Food Lion shopping center on Huntsville Highway, Highway 431.  
The store, expected to open in February of 2012, will feature a 35,000 square foot home center with an attached lawn and garden center and drive through lumberyard.  
The store will offer a complete line of building materials, electrical, plumbing, paint, millwork, hardware, tools, and lawn and garden products.  Fayettevilleis the first new concept store of several the company hopes to open in the state of Tennessee.
The company opened two new stores in Monroeville, Ala.in May and expects to open Eufaula, Ala., in October of 2011.
Menards will open a new store in Miami Township, Ohio, after demolishing a shopping center it purchased on Aug. 24 for $5.36 million.  The 201,000-sq.-ft. plaza, called Lyons Crossing, was anchored by Walmart before the discount merchant moved to another location. The remaining stores will be torn down to make way for the construction of a $9 million Menards store.
Orchard Supply Hardware opened a new store in South San Jose. The new unit will be the company’s 89th location.  The 60,000-sq.-ft. store is designed with a “racetrack” configuration and features an expanded customer-service area referred to as the “Workbench.” This is where customers will go for help with lock rekeying, custom-cutting of rope, lumber, screens and other materials, pipe threading, and tool and knife sharpening. The paint section has been enlarged, and the store includes a large indoor/outdoor nursery and garden supply area. 
It fills up one of the few remaining empty boxes formerly occupied by Mervyns in Santa Clara County.  The San Jose-based retailer’s 60,000-square-foot store in Princeton Plaza, located at the corner of Meridian Avenue and Blossom Hill Road in South San Jose, will be one of its new-format styles unveiled in Santa Rosa two years ago. The space was occupied since the 1970s by Mervyns, the Hayward-based mid-range department store chain that shut down after declaring Chapter 7 bankruptcy. That store was shuttered in early 2009.
Discount and Specialty
hhgregg has announced the opening of 14 stores in Chicago. Chicago will be the company’s largest market.  To support the new stores, the retailer has hired 700 residents for sales associates, warehouse staff, and customer service representatives.
Out of the 14 stores, 13 will open in Illinois communities and one in Merrilville, Indiana.
Illinois: Gurnee, Vernon Hills, Geneva, Schaumburg, Lombard, Bloomingdale, Arlington Heights, Joliet, Naperville, Orland Park, Niles, Crystal Lake, and Norridge
Indiana: Merrillville
T-Mobile USA announced the rollout of a new global design for nearly 400 new and remodeled stores across the country. The move follows successful test pilots in Tukwila, Wash., and in New York City at Seventh Ave. and 48th St.,
T-Mobile said it adopted the new design format from its parent company, Deutsche Telekom AG, which has received positive customer feedback for this new design in retail stores across Europe.
Each redesigned store will be completely new from floor to ceiling, and will feature a more customer-centric layout, including private customer service desks and clearly defined product areas.
Other new design features include hardwood flooring, large digital messaging screen at the rear of the store, and vertical highlight panels installed with information kiosks and video monitors.
Customers also will have several service options, from standing service counters on the sales floor for quick transactions to seated service desks for long transactions, discreet conversations and business-to-business consultations. With this new format, customer wait times are expected to be reduced.
T-Mobile said it is opening or remodeling stores in approximately 65 markets across the country, led by openings in Boston, and Washington, D.C.
Department Stores and Apparel
Casual Male Retail Group, Inc. opened a new DestinationXL in Warwick, RI.
Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. opened new stores in Yonkers, NY, Norcross, GA, Lexington Park, MD, West Chesterfield, VA, Liberty, MO, El Cajon, CA, Burlington, NC, and Suffolk, VA.
DSW Inc. opened new store locations in Boise, ID, Novato, CA and Annapolis, MD.
Intermix Inc. opened its sixth New York store in SoHo. The 2,725-sq.-ft. unit is located at 812 Washington St.
JCPenney opened a new 105,000-sq.-ft. store at the TimberCreek Crossing shopping center in Dallas, TX.
Kohl’s Department Stores opened 30 new stores in a total of 20 states. Kohl’s has also renovated about 100 existing stores this year, creating about 4,000 new jobs.
Macy’s is consolidating from nine floors to six at its store in downtown Pittsburgh, with a makeover that will result in a store that’s still about twice the size of the chain’s typical suburban department stores.
Nordstrom announced plans to open a new Nordstrom Rack in Temecula, CA.
The 35,700-sq-ft, store is scheduled to open during spring 2012 at Commons at Temecula, a regional shopping center.
Ross Dress for Less celebrated its initial ent
ry into the greater Chicago area with the grand opening of 12 stores on Oct. 8. Stores are now open in Algonquin, Arlington Heights, Bloomingdale, Crystal Lake, Matteson, Naperville, Niles, Orland Park, Rockford, Schaumburg, Skokie and South Elgin, IL.
Saks Fifth Avenue will close its store in downtown Pittsburgh in 2012.
Shoe City announced plans to double its current store base during the next five years.

Dunkin’ Donuts is targeting Phoenix, Dallas and Las Vegas, with the long-term goal of adding 5,000 stores in the West. Additionally, Dunkin’ Donuts is recruiting franchisees for the markets of Denver and Colorado Springs, CO; Houstonand Waco, TX; Lincoln and Omaha, NE; Oklahoma City and Tulsa, OK; as well as Santa Fe and Albuquerque, NM. The company expects that restaurants in these new markets will begin to open in early 2013. Dunkin’ Donuts is also seeking franchisees for its Des Moinesand Sioux City, IA, markets.
Famous Dave’s of America, Inc. announced that it has awarded a multi-unit franchise agreement to Famous Ribs of Canada Ltd., a subsidiary of Tribal Councils Investment Group of Manitoba Ltd. The first location is anticipated to open June 2012 in Winnipeg, MB; this will be the first non-U.S. location for the company.
Mama Fu’s Asian House has signed a development agreement to build 11 new stores in San Antonio and West TX.
McDonald’s Canada announced it is investing approximately $1 billion to undertake its biggest store-by-store brand transformation in the company’s 44-year Canadian history.
Muscle Maker Grill is expanding its reach to the South by securing a multi-unit franchise deal to develop 10 Muscle Maker Grill restaurants in TX.
Noodles & Company announced a new development agreement with a franchise group in Hartford, CT. The new franchise partner is slated to open its first Noodles & Company location in Hartford County, Conn.in 2012, plus several additional locations over the next five years.
Quiznos is partnering with the convenience store chain Champlain Farms in VT to add about 40 Quiznos locations inside the retail stores.
Red Mango is seeking to expand to as many as 100 new locations and into other countries in 2012.
Wingstop announced the company has signed multiple development agreements that will result in 15 new restaurants in the Atlanta area.