JCPenney, facing a beauty deficit after Sephora moved its in-store boutiques to rival Kohl’s, is leaning into diversity as a new differentiator. The JCPenney Beauty in-store and online experience will reflect a range of customer ages, genders, races, skin tones, hair types, beauty regimens and budgets. JCPenney Beauty will triple the space devoted to haircare products, a third of which will serve textured hair.

The new beauty departments debut this month in Whittier, California; Trumbull, Connecticut; Davenport, Florida; Dearborn, Michigan; Greenville, North Carolina; McAllen, Texas; Mesquite, Texas; Niles, Ohio; Springfield, Missouri; and St. Cloud, Minnesota. They’ll roll out to remaining stores by 2023. “We have reimagined every aspect of our beauty experience, from the highly curated assortment and welcoming space to the integrated loyalty program and all new e-commerce experience,” said executive vice president and chief merchandising officer Michelle Wlazlo.

This fall, direct-to-consumer sunglasses retailer Shady Rays will open its first physical store, a 1,000-square-foot unit at The Summit at Fritz Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. Shady Rays ranked No. 54 on the Inc. 5000 in 2020, having grown revenue 5,683% over three years. The company will use lessons from the Lexington store to lay out a future flagship.

At Florida’s Walk of Coral Springs, Barnes & Noble is reopening within half its old space. It closed its 27,000-square-foot store there in February 2020, and during lockdowns, Amera Properties split the space into a Trader Joe’s and a smaller spot for B&N’s newer, streamlined concept.

Crazy Boss will open its eighth store, in a 103,157-square-foot former Stein Mart in Fontana, California’s Vineyard Valley. The discounter sells items starting at $1, including clothing, shoes, beauty products, toys and home decor. Crazy Boss operates two stores in San Bernardino, California, and five in Texas.

The newest Nike Live launched in Brooklyn, New York. Called Nike by Williamsburg, the store hyper-targets merchandise to locals.

Nordstrom is moving into the home decor market with Nordstrom Home NYC, a two-level boutique inside its New York City flagship.

Upscale Canadian-born active apparel brand Twenty Montreal opened its first store, a 1,400-square-foot unit in New York City’s SoHo.

Museum of Ice Cream signed a long-term lease for a prominent, 13,544-square-foot location in CIM and Golub’s Shops at Tribune Tower in Chicago. The city joins New York and Austin as the only U.S. cities with permanent locations for MOIC’s immersive, interactive experience. The concept expects to open the Chicago location in the spring. The 50,000-square-foot, ground-floor Shops at Tribune Tower anchors Michigan Avenue’s iconic, 36-story, 740,000-square-foot Neo-Gothic Tribune Tower.

This month, Pelindaba Lavender — which grows lavender, distills lavender essential oils and makes lavender products — will open its 11th U.S. store, at Galleria Dallas.

The B-12 Store, which gives vitamin injections, opened at CBL’s Coastal Grand Mall in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Supermarket chain Woodman’s opened in a former Macy’s in Bloomingdale, Illinois’ Stratford Square Mall. The grocer’s 19 stores span northern Wisconsin to Greater Chicago.

Dessert chain The Peach Cobbler Factory — which has 22 stores open or in the works in Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana and Tennessee — signed a deal to open at The University of Tennessee Chattanooga.

Luxury electric vehicle maker Lucid will take nearly 23,000 square feet along Miami Worldcenter’s 1st Avenue and 10th Street for a showroom, a service center and a delivery center both for its Lucid Air electric sedan and for future models.