Loc8NearMe Blog - Local and National Trends & Updates

District 10 Market Grocery Stores

San Francisco's Grocery Store Lets Customers Shop Without Paying

San Francisco has just opened its first free food "market" in the Bayview-Hunters Point area, a $5.5 million initiative aimed at combating food insecurity. This unique facility allows eligible residents to shop for groceries without paying, mimicking a regular supermarket shopping. The 4000-square-foot District 10 Market works in a simple way: approved residents show a benefits card, pick their items, and check out to track inventory – all without opening their wallets.

Discount Store Dollar Tree

Dollar Tree Acquires 170 99 Cents Only Stores

Dollar Tree is moving into 170 former 99 Cents Only stores, marking a big shift in the discount retail landscape. The company announced Wednesday it's taking over leases in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Texas, with plans to reopen the stores under its own brand as early as fall 2024.

Grocery Stores H Mart Patel Brothers 99 Ranch Market

How Asian Grocery Stores Went from Niche to Mainstream

Asian grocery stores in the US have grown from small shops to nationwide chains over the last few decades. They have expanded beyond their original immigrant customer base, offering popular Asian foods like spicy Korean noodles to many Americans nowadays. As of 2024, H Mart has become a $2 billion company with 96 locations, Patel Brothers operates 52 stores across 20 states and 99 Ranch Market has 62 stores in 11 states.

Kizik Shoe Stores

Kizik Steps Into Mall of America With Experiential Shoe Stores

The "hands-free" footwear brand Kizik just opened its second U.S. store at the iconic Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. The Mall of America store, located in the West Market on the second level, offers Kizik's full assortment of shoes for men, women, and kids in all sizes. It will also carry new seasonal styles, Kizik-branded apparel, shoe care kits, and no-slip socks.

TJ Maxx Departament Stores

TJ Maxx's Parent Plans Expansion with 1,300 New Stores

TJX Companies, the parent of TJ Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, Sierra, and Homesense, has big growth plans. During a recent earnings call, TJX CEO Ernie Herrman announced the company could open over 1,300 additional stores across the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia. According to Herrman, this expansion capitalizes on TJX's flexible "off-price" business model and broad customer appeal. "We are convinced that significant market share opportunities remain...over the long term," he stated. "We see the potential to further expand our store footprint by at least another 1,300-plus with our current retail banners in our existing countries."

Walmart Retail Stores Supermarkets

Shopping Gets Weird but Wonderful with Walmart Realm

Walmart just launched Realm, its new 3D online shopping platform. To help you visualize what that means, imagine a virtual mall packed with bright colors, wacky landscapes, and cartoon avatars wandering around. Realm lets you browse "digital doubles" of real Walmart products by navigating through several make-believe worlds. "We believe this is the future of commerce," said Justin Breton, who leads brand experiences at Walmart. "It won't replace our website or app, but will complement them."

Ollie's Discount Stores

Ollie's Got Their Hands On 11 Former 99 Cents Only Stores in Texas

Ollie's Bargain Outlet just landed a great deal of its own, winning a $14.6 million bankruptcy auction for 11 former 99 Cents Only store locations across Texas. The discount retail chain pounced after 99 Cents Only abruptly went out of business in March, shuttering all 371 of its stores in California, Arizona, Texas, and Nevada. Ollie's quickly made an opening "stalking horse bid" to grab over a dozen of the empty properties.

Toy Store Anime Store Bandai Namco

Bandai Namco's First US Anime Store Arrives in American Dream Mall

Bandai Namco, the company behind super popular brands like Gundam, Pac-Man, and Naruto, is opening its first-ever store in the Western Hemisphere. The Bandai Namco Toys & Collectibles store will open on May 31st at the huge American Dream mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Fans can expect to find merch from well-known anime series - Dragon Ball, One Piece, Naruto, Demon Slayer, and the brand new hit Spy x Family.

Fix Auto Auto Repair Auto Body Parts

Fix Auto USA Celebrates Its 200th Location Opening

Fix Auto USA opened its 200th location in Palm Desert South, California, Body Shop Business reported. An impressive achievement for the company started just over a decade ago. "I'm honored to be the 200th Fix Auto USA location," said Arroyo. "I joined the network in 2014 and haven't looked back. This network has given me so much, and I can't wait to continue building my business and representing the brand."

Chubbies Clothing Store Mall of America

New Chubbies Store Opening at Minnesota's Mall of America

Minnesotans will have a new summer wardrobe option! Chubbies, a casual menswear brand popular for its patterned shorts and swimsuits, is opening its first Midwest store at the Mall of America in Bloomington. According to the mall, Chubbies will open on Level 1 South this summer.

Dunn-Edwards Paint Stores Hardware Stores

Dunn-Edwards Opens 17 New Stores Across Northern California

In the latest move of its growth plan, leading paint maker Dunn-Edwards just opened 17 new retail locations throughout Northern California. This expansion of physical stores boosts the company's footprint in the region by over 50%. The expansion caps an exciting time for the nearly 100-year-old company. With its 100th anniversary in 2025, Dunn-Edwards is strengthening its market position through planned growth focused on better serving pros, homeowners and employees.

Fan Outfitters Sports Apparel Sporting Goods

Fan Outfitters is Taking Team Merchandise Stores Nationwide

Fan Outfitters aims to be the ultimate one-stop shop for local professional, college, and even high school team merchandise. The company's unique "hyperlocal" approach is the brainchild of its parent company Lids Sports Group. Just six months after launching, Fan Outfitters has already opened 12 locations in cities like Phoenix, Dallas, Oklahoma City, Lexington, and Tampa. The massive 5,500 square-foot spaces are stocked with jerseys, trading cards, replica helmets, and much more across 12-15 local teams.

MANGO Apparel Store

Mango Fashion Opens Nearly 30 New U.S. Stores

The popular Spanish fashion brand Mango grows its brick-and-mortar presence across the United States. After opening a flagship store in New York City in 2022 and expanding into markets like Florida, Texas and California last year, Mango is now making a major push along the East Coast. The retailer plans to have nearly 30 U.S. locations by the end of 2024, with Boston and the Washington D.C. area being major new territories. Four upcoming D.C.-area stores will be located downtown D.C., Bethesda's Westfield Montgomery mall (opened April 14th), Tysons Corner Center mall, and Pentagon City. In the Boston area, Mango will open three new stores in 2024, starting with an April 22nd debut at the huge Natick Mall.

Aldi Discount Supermarket

Long Island Getting 5 Additional Aldi Locations

Aldi, the budget-friendly German grocery chain, is making a major push on Long Island. With shoppers increasingly seeking savings amid still-elevated food prices, the discount retailer plans to invest over $9 billion to add 800 new U.S. stores by the end of 2028 - including at least five more locations on Long Island.

Wayfair Home Goods Furniture Store

Online Furniture Seller Wayfair Opens Its First Physical Retail Store

For the first time ever, Wayfair is stepping into the real world with a huge 150,000 square foot physical retail store. The new location will open on May 23rd in the Chicago suburb of Wilmette, Illinois at the Edens Plaza shopping mall. This flagship brick-and-mortar store marks a major shift for Wayfair, which has operated solely online since its launch back in 2002. So what can shoppers expect?

Discount Store Dollar Tree

Dollar Tree Raising Max Price to $7 in Thousands of Stores

Get ready to pay more at your local Dollar Tree store. The company said it will now allow prices up to $7 at 3,000 of its stores across the country. "This year, across 3,000 stores, we expect to expand our multi-price assortment by over 300 items at price points ranging from $1.50 to $7," Dollar Tree CEO Rick Dreiling said in the company's recent earnings call. This is a big increase from the previous $5 maximum price that was just set last June. The base price for most items is also going up from $1.25 to $1.50.

Departament Stores JCPenney

JCPenney Opens First New Store in 8 Years With Modern Design

Department store JCPenney has been working to make a strong comeback since leaving bankruptcy in late 2020. On April 5th, the retailer reached an important milestone by launching its first brand new location in eight years at the Willowbrook Mall in Wayne, New Jersey. The new 65,000 square foot JCPenney store now occupies the space where Lord & Taylor's store used to be. It's rocking a fresh redesign with an open layout, bright LED lights, movable fixtures, and uses mannequins to display clothing items.

Citi Westville The Crossing Clarendon

New Bank and Restaurant Coming to Clarendon

Big changes are headed for The Crossing Clarendon shopping center. A new bank branch and restaurant are both set to open their doors in the coming months at the popular Arlington destination. First up, Citibank will be unveiling a 4,000 square foot full-service branch in the fourth quarter of 2024. The other major incoming is Westville, a casual American restaurant from New York City.

Daiso Discount Stores

Japanese Discount Chain Daiso is Bringing Four Stores to San Antonio

Daiso plans to open four new stores around San Antonio throughout 2024, attracted strong economy and growing population of this region. "San Antonio has one of the best economies in the United States, along with consistently strong growth which makes this region a great area for our expansion," said Daniela Davis, Daiso USA's Vice President of Marketing.

Trader Joe's Grand Opening "Pronto" Store

Trader Joe's Opens a Unique Grab-and-Go "Pronto" Store in NYC

Trader Joe's has launched a totally new type of store in New York City - a one-of-a-kind grab-and-go market called "Trader Joe's Pronto." But NYC shoppers shouldn't expect to see lots of these smaller, quicker stores popping up in their neighborhoods right away. The specialty grocer opened its first-ever Pronto location this week at E. 14th Street in Union Square. It took over the space that used to be Trader Joe's only wine shop in New York before it suddenly closed down in 2022 after 15 years.

Academy Sports + Outdoors Sporting Goods Store

160-180 New Academy Sports Stores Coming By 2028

Academy Sports & Outdoors has big plans to greatly grow the number of its stores over the next five years. The sporting goods chain aims to open between 160 to 180 new store locations across the country by 2028. Between 15 and 17 more new stores are expected to open this current fiscal year as Academy starts its major expansion. "Academy Sports + Outdoors is excited to provide our customers with new convenient stores...to help our loyal customers get to the fun faster," said Eric Friederich, senior VP of retail operations.

Untuckit Apparel Store

Untuckit Announces Expansion with 14 New Stores in 2024

The apparel brand Untuckit plans to open 14 new stores in the U.S., Canada, and U.K. by the end of 2024. The first three stores will open in Southern California at Brea Mall, The Shops at Mission Viejo, and Del Amo Fashion Center. Loc8NearMe previously reported that an Untuckit store is also coming to Menlo Park Mall in Edison, New Jersey.

Buc-ee's Grand Opening

Colorado's First Buc-ee's Travel Center Opens

The massive 74,000-square-foot travel center opened at 6am to lots of excitement and energy. Buc-ee's most loyal customers camped out overnight to be among the first to visit the store known for its large food selection, award-winning clean bathrooms, and beaver mascot character. The Johnstown location features 116 fueling stations, 12 electric vehicle charging spots, and thousands of snack, meal and drink options including homemade fudge, barbecue, kolaches, jerky and more. It will be open 24/7.

Burlington Departament Store

Burlington to Open 100+ New Stores This Year

Burlington Stores is speeding up its plans to open more new stores after a year of good sales growth. The off-price retailer reported a 4% increase in comparable store sales for fiscal 2023 and beat expectations in the fourth quarter. Burlington plans to open approximately 140 new stores in 2024, with the goal of achieving around 100 net new locations after accounting for relocations and closures.

Babies R Us Kohl's Departament Stores

Babies R Us Is Making a Comeback in Kohl's Stores

Parents will soon have another place to shop for baby gear and furniture - inside Kohl's department stores. The retailer announced a partnership to bring dedicated Babies R Us sections to over 200 of its locations by Fall 2024. The new Babies R Us shops, ranging from 750 to 2,500 square feet, will offer a wide assortment of baby products like furniture, strollers, car seats, feeding supplies, and more. They'll complement Kohl's existing baby clothing and accessories from brands like Carter's and Fisher-Price.

Trader Joe's Grocery Stores

16 New Trader Joe's Stores Are Soon to Open Across the U.S.

Trader Joe's is on a way to bring its affordable grocery offerings to more neighborhoods. The chain just announced plans to open 16 brand new stores spanning from coast to coast in the coming months.

Aldi Discount Supermarket

800 New Aldi Stores Coming to the US

The German supermarket wants to bring its "lowest possible prices" to even more communities by 2028. As the press release states, this expansion comes "during a time when consumers are more focused than ever on saving money." While specific new store addresses weren't revealed, Aldi said it aims to "strengthen its already strong presence" in the Northeast and Midwest. The chain will also spread further west into Southern California, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and other western cities where it has fewer stores currently.

Grocery Outlet Discount Retailer

60 New Grocery Outlet Stores Planned for 2024

The discount grocery chain Grocery Outlet has big expansion plans for 2024. After buying United Grocery Outlet and its 40 stores in the Southeast U.S., the company says it will open up to 60 new stores next year. This growth builds on Grocery Outlet's killer 2023 performance. Last year, the retailer grew its sales to a record $4 billion across its 468 stores in nine states. Sales at long-standing stores increased 2.7%, driven by more customer visits.

Dillard's Departament Store Opening South Dakota

The Long-Awaited First Dillard's South Dakota Store Is Finally Here

After lots of delays because of Сovid-19, Dillard's is finally opening its very first store in South Dakota. The new location is at The Empire Mall in Sioux Falls and is going to be huge - 140,000 square feet – 40,000 feet more than the old Younkers store it's replacing. The new Dillard's has been totally renovated with all the newest store designs, technology, and merchandise displays. Shoppers will get to experience shopping in a modern, updated way.

Dollar General Variety Stores Opening

20,000th Dollar General Store Now Open

Dollar General opened its 20,000th U.S. store on February 24th in Alice, Texas. It’s a major milestone for the discount chain that started as one small general store back in 1955. Starting with a ribbon cutting ceremony, the grand opening celebration began at 9am. First customers received some freebies - tote bags filled with free product samples and snacks from DG's Clover Valley brand.

Macy's Departament Stores

Macy's 150 Closures Make Room for More Bloomingdale's and Bluemercury

Macy’s has to go on a diet. The famous department store chain announced major changes – it will close 150 underperforming locations across the country over the next three years. As of early 2024, you can say goodbye to stores in Arlington, Virginia; San Leandro and Simi Valley in California; Lihue, Hawaii; and Tallahassee, Florida. A third of this 150 Macy’s spots will be closed in 2025, their locations are still unknown.

Target Supermarkets

Target Launches New Ultra-Low-Cost Brand Dealworthy

Target's new low-cost brand Dealworthy is rolling out this month in stores and online. With items starting at under $1, it is aimed at budget-conscious shoppers. The low prices on basics like phone chargers, paper plates and underwear will likely appeal.

Mall

Lululemon, Ramen Ya, More Coming to Menlo Park Mall

Several exciting new dining and shopping options are soon to be in Menlo Park Mall in Edison, New Jersey. Mall management has announced that the additions will open over the next few months.

Beauty School Rochester

Rochester's First Black-Owned Beauty School Opens Its Doors

Rochester welcomed its first ever Black-owned beauty school on Saturday with the grand opening of Visions School of Beauty. Owner Kenisha June has worked over 20 years to reach this dream. "We are the fourth cosmetology school in Rochester but the first Black-owned one," said June. "I'm just so excited to build this legacy, train aspiring stylists, and give back." Visions School of Beauty will teach all kinds of beauty skills - hair, nails, skin, and how to run a business too, while being able to take up to 16 students at once.

Walmart Supermarkets Retail stores

Walmart Building Hundreds of New Stores Nationwide

Walmart is growing the number of its physical stores across America. The retail giant announced plans to open 150 new U.S. stores over the next five years while remodeling 650 current locations. This ambitious plan shows Walmart is still confident in real stores, even with online shopping booming. The chain currently operates over 10,000 stores nationwide.

Convenicence Stores Report

US Convenience Stores Growth Continues For Second Straight Year

The number of convenience stores in America is rising for the second year in a row. This comes after several years where the numbers were going down. A new report from NACS shows there are now 152,396 convenience stores nationwide in 2024. This is a 1.5% increase over 2023. Texas still has the most convenience stores with over 16,000 locations. California added back 177 stores after losing some last year.

Planet Fitness Gyms

CDM Fitness Holdings Acquires 2 RI Gyms For Planet Fitness

Planet Fitness is pumping iron into two new locations in Rhode Island. Franchise operator CDM Fitness Holdings bought gyms in Warren and Lincoln from Maxx Fitness Clubzz. This expands CDM's number of clubs in New England to 62.

Goodwill Thrift Store

New Goodwill® Opens Its Doors in Southwest Vegas

Thrift shop fans in Las Vegas were excited on Friday as Goodwill of Southern Nevada opened its newest bargain store - the 18th Goodwill shop and donation center conveniently located at Blue Diamond and Westwind in the growing southwest valley. The grand opening party started at 8:45AM with eager shoppers waiting for the doors to open at 9. After a ribbon-cutting ceremony, the first 150 customers got a free $5 Goodwill gift card and reusable bag.

7-Eleven Stores

7-Eleven Buys 204 Stripes and Laredo Taco Stores, Expands Southwest

Dallas-based convenience store giant 7-Eleven is expanding southwest by acquiring 204 Stripes and Laredo Taco Company stores from Sunoco for $950 million. This comes soon after 7-Eleven's 2018 purchase of over 1,000 convenience stores from Sunoco, including some Stripes locations, for $3.3 billion.

Publix Food Stores Supermarkets

Publix Sets Sights on Kentucky, Taking on Kroger in its Backyard

Popular Florida-based grocery chain Publix is venturing into uncharted territory - Kentucky. Come 2024, Publix will unveil its inaugural Bluegrass State locations, comprising six stores sprinkled between Louisville and Lexington.

Prepare for Google Business Profile Website Changes with Loc8NearMe

In March 2024, websites created through Google Business Profiles will be shut down. If you have a site, which ends in .business.site or .negocio.site, visitors will automatically be redirected to your Business Profile instead. This redirect will stay in place until June 10, 2024. After that, your old site will simply show a "page not found" error.