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.
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.
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 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'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."
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 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.
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.
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 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.