Supermarket, Grocery, & C-Store
• Ahold-Delhaize has announced the appointment of John Ruane as President of The Giant Company.
• Harps Food Stores Inc. has acquired independent grocer, Janise’s Supermarket in Sunset, LA.
• Lou Perrine’s Gas & Groceries has closed its locations and gone out of business.
• Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores Inc. has hired Eddie Burt as the company’s first Chief Supply Chain Officer.
• Raley’s Family of Fine Stores has promoted Chelsea Minor to VP of Community Impact and Public Affairs.
Retail
• Camp recently opened a new store location in Chicago, IL.
• Carolina Herrera announced it will open a new store location in Palm Beach, FL, by the end of the year.
• Claire’s Holdings LLC plans to open 50 stores in Europe this year.
• Costco Wholesale Corp. is planning to build a 241,000 sq. ft. distribution center in Fresno, CA.
• David’s Bridal has been acquired by an investment company and will reportedly be able to keep 195 store locations open.
• Dollar General Corp. reported it plans to offer fresh produce in 5,000 of its stores by January 2024.
• Genesco Inc. reported Journeys has partnered with ThredUp Inc. for a resale program.
• House-Hasson Hardware Co. Inc. has promoted Taylor Hasson to VP of Strategic Retail Management. The retailer has also named Lysette Aviles as its new VP of Human Resources.
• Kleinfeld Bridal is launching its first jewelry line. It will include more than 80 products, and prices will range from $35 to $295.
• Kohl’s Corporation announced all its stores will have Sephora USA Inc. beauty departments by the end of 2025.
• Lowe’s Companies Inc. has partnered with OneRail to provide same-day delivery from all of its stores.
• Sur La Table reported it will open new stores in Natick, MA and Albany, NY, this month. The retailer will open a new store in Darien, CT, in September.
• TAG Heuer USA has recently opened a new location in New York City, NY. The retailer plans to double its store count in the U.S. to 50 stores, by 2026.
• Target Corporation reportedly has plans to open a new 180,000 sq. ft. sortation center in Detroit, MI.
• True Religion Apparel Inc. has appointed Kristen D’Arcy as its first ever Chief Marketing Officer.
• Vuori Clothing plans to open 20 to 25 new stores each year, as part of its goal to operate 100 stores in the U.S. by 2026.
Restaurant
• Cracker Barrel has named Julie Felss Masino as CEO.
• Potbelly founder Bryant Keil is becoming a franchisee and he has reached a 27-unit deal Maryland deal with the company.
• Smokey Bones has named Javier Retamar as Chief Financial Officer.
• Starbucks has named Arthur Valdez as Executive VP, Global Supply and Customer Services.
• Taco John’s has dropped their Taco Tuesday trademark after Taco Bell filed legal petitions in May to cancel the trademark registration. Taco Bell has been campaigning against the trademark for years and recently recruited LeBron James in an ad campaign to drum up support. Taco John’s owned the trademark in 49 states and in lieu of money spent on a legal battle they are calling for Taco Bell to match their charity donation to non-profit organization Children of Restaurant Employees (CORE).
• Toast, the online restaurant ordering platform, has gone back on their decision to add a consumer facing 99-cent fee to all orders over $10. The initial move to add the fee was met with pushback from restaurant owners who use the service.
• YUM! Brands announced that Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Allyson Park has departed the company.
