Supermarket, Grocery, & C-Store
• Ahold-Delhaize announced Jolanda Poots-Bijl will join the company in August as Exec VP Finance. On October 1 she will assume the role of CFO, succeeding Natalie Knight.
• Casey’s General Stores Inc. reported it plans to open 350 new stores by the end of fiscal year 2026.
• Lidl US, LLC recently opened new stores in Greensboro, NC and Washington, DC. The retailer also announced plans to open a new 29,208 sq. ft. supermarket in Yonkers, NY.
• Longo Brothers Fruit Markets Inc. has promoted Jenny Longo to VP of Private Brands.
• Metropolitan Market is opening a new store in Seattle, WA, on August 30.
• Northeast Grocery, Inc. has promoted John Persons to the position of COO. Additionally, Mike Miller has become Chief Administrative Officer.
• Publix Super Markets Inc. plans to open a new 48,000 sq. ft. store location in Chesapeake, VA, in early 2025.
• Sheetz Inc. plans to open its first convenience store in Michigan in late 2024.
• Tops Markets LLC announced Ron Ferri has been promoted to President of the company. Mike Patti has been promoted to Senior VP Operations. Jim Gibson has been promoted to Regional VP for the West Region. John McCaffrey was promoted to Regional VP the East Region.
• Whole Foods Market Inc. recently opened a new 47,000 sq. ft. store in Washington, DC.
Retail
• 1-800 Flowers.com Inc. announced that its CEO, Christopher McCann, is stepping down. He will be succeeded by its Chairman, Jim McCann.
• Alex and Ani, LLC is reportedly closing 20 stores and its headquarters in Rhode Island.
• Barnes & Noble Inc. plans to open 30 to 40 stores in 2023, including four in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, area. The retailer is testing a format that can be adjusted to fit different markets and spaces with 5,000 to 30,000 square feet available.
• Christmas Tree Shops Inc. announced it is planning to liquidate all of its stores.
• Do it Best Corp. has promoted Mallory Bates to Merchandise Manager. Dillon Henschen was promoted to Architect. Nathan Selvey was promoted to Merchandise Manager. Dan Wasvick was promoted to Sales Product Manager. The company also announced Dustin Clark has been hired as a Merchandise Manager.
• Dollar General Corp. reported it will start construction next year on a 150,000 sq. ft. distribution center in Florida, NY. The discount retailer is also planning to open distribution centers in North Little Rock, AR, Aurora, CO, and Salem, OR.
• Givenchy has opened a new store in Beverly Hills, CA.
• Nation’s Best Holdings LLC has acquired B & S Hardware and Lumber Inc.
• Recreational Equipment Inc. announced it will open a new 22,000 sq. ft. store in Durango, CO, in spring 2025. The retailer is also planning to open a new store in Tulsa, OK, in spring 2024.
• Savers Inc. has launched its initial public offering. The stock is trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SVV.
• Spencer Spirit Holdings Inc. reported it plans to hire approximately 40,000 people for its seasonal positions. The retailer plans to open more than 1,500 Spirit Halloween temporary locations in strip centers and malls across North America.
• Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. said it expects to close an additional 150 stores in the U.S. by the end of 2024.
Restaurant
• Chipotle is closing down the last Pizzeria Locale locations. The pizza restaurant started in 2003 and Chipotle became the major investor in 2013.
• Dog Haus has signed a franchise development agreement to open three new locations in Alabama over the next year.
• Golden Corral has named Dawn Gillis as Chief Information Officer.
• Juice It Up has opened a new location in Calimesa, CA.
• KFC is launching a new merchandise shop that will feature summer apparel including retro KFC branding. The collection will be available for an unspecified limited time and will regularly update with new merchandise.
• Panera has created a new rewards program that will promote their retail product line.
• Slim Chickens has opened a new location in Sparks, NV.