Pizza chain Little Caesars (Detroit) said it has signed several new multi-unit development agreements to expand its presence across the U.S. As part of these deal signings, Little Caesars will open more than 30 new restaurants throughout San Diego, Memphis, Tampa, Raleigh, N.C., Minneapolis-St. Paul, San Antonio and Eugene, Ore. In addition, Little Caesars said it plans to grow its footprint across the U.S. with its newest restaurant prototype – Little Caesars PODs. Featuring a design that’s built offsite, PODs have a quicker construction timeline than most traditional restaurants. “The growth ..read more

Register here for “‘Re-Sparkling’ Retail: Using Store Design to Build Trust, Faith and Brand Loyalty” on April 23 at 2 pm EST. In a landscape where retail design often falls short of its potential, senior management is often reluctant to stray from data-driven decisions that often stifle creativity. Data plays a crucial role in mitigating risk, but it can’t address ever-changing consumer expectations. So, how can we empower and inspire senior leaders to see design as an investment for future retail growth? This session, led by retail design expert Ian Johnston from Quinine Design, explores how ..read more

The National Retail Federation reported last December that 85 percent of small businesses said they experienced retail theft at least once a year and that nearly 80 percent of retailers reported that organized retail theft was a higher concern in 2023 than in 2022. Now, a new report by marketing agency NP Digital reveals how deeply retailers across the board are affected by retail theft.  The report found that 70 percent of retailers surveyed said retail theft is a major concern for them in 2024 and have a plan against it; of those retailers, 20 percent were clothing stores and 19 pe ..read more

Continuing February’s gains, retail sales and wages were up in March, according to the CNBC/Nation Retail Federation Retail Monitor.  March’s retail sales totaled a .36 percent increase month over month and were up 2.72 percent year over year in March. February increased .4 percent month over month and 2.7 percent year over year in February.  “As inflation for goods levels off, March’s data demonstrates steady spending by value-focused consumers who continue to benefit from a strong labor market and real wage gains,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in the release of the repor ..read more

Joy Dayaw Design PM, MG2 Age: 33 Favorite TV Show: “The Sopranos” Favorite Video Game: “Mortal Kombat” WHY JOY? In her role as Design PM, Joy wears many hats and oversees a diverse team that delivers experiential retail and F&B projects. In addition to preparing proposals for new projects, Joy also executes contracts, tracks the financial performance of projects and maintains project schedules. Some recent store designs under her belt include Brilliant Earth, Vyne Wine Shop and Evergreens. “She has a sixth sense for understanding customer flow and designing the customer journey and layout ..read more

GREAT CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE (CX) drives revenue growth in the retail world. But who gets the credit for the great experience and increased sales? At the corporate level, you have savvy marketing, sales, product, and (if you’re really savvy) CX teams and metrics, all of which lead to credit given to leaders. But what about the customer-facing employees? Those who interact with consumers day in and day out? Customer-facing employees play a critical role in the CX. As consumers ourselves, this may seem like a no-brainer: A single interaction with an employee can make or break our experience, regard ..read more

(PRESS RELEASE) MONTCLAIR, NJ – The newest standards of in-store merchandising displays have been set. During a live awards ceremony at Shop! MarketPlace in Cincinnati on April 10, Shop! Association announced the winners of the 2024 Outstanding Merchandising Achievement (OMA) Awards. As the retail industry’s most prestigious and longest-running awards contest, the OMA Awards recognize excellence in merchandise displays across various product-and-retail-based categories. “The OMA Award winners show our industry that with a passion to push the boundaries of what is possible, groundbreaking merch ..read more

(PRESS RELEASE) MONTCLAIR, NJ – The most innovative displays and activations worldwide are shaping the future of the in-store experience. Shop! Association announced the winners of the 2024 Global Awards during a live awards ceremony at Shop! MarketPlace in Cincinnati on April 10. Celebrating the ultimate in point-of-purchase advertising displays and in-store activations, the Shop! Global Award competition welcomes gold award-winning projects from Shop! POPAI programs from around the world. “The winners of the Shop! Global Awards are the best of the best from across the globe and represent the ..read more

(PRESS RELEASE) MONTCLAIR, NJ – Imaginative retail design exceeds the limitations of what is possible. Shop! Association announced and celebrated the winners of the 2024 Shop! Design Awards live at Shop! MarketPlace in Cincinnati on April 9. The Shop! Design Awards honors creative designs that enhance the in-store retail space, with the highest recognition being Store of the Year. “The winners of the Shop! Design Awards challenge design norms and inspire our industry to create in-store spaces with an outside-the-box vision,” said Murray Kasmenn, Executive Director of Shop! Association. The pan ..read more

Terrain, a home-and-garden unit of the Anthropologie Group (Philadelphia), has opened a 2700-square-foot store at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG). Project participants say it is the first store of its kind for Terrain and a new retail concept for a cultural institution such as BBG. “The New York City region has long been a top ecommerce market for our brand, and we’re delighted at the opportunity to invite our devoted customers to experience Terrain in-person,” says Aaron Mutscheller, President of Anthropologie Living and Terrain. “Our opening at BBG is another example of the unconventional ..read more