Carhartt: The workwear brand will open its 20th store, in downtown Nashville at Brookfield Properties’ Fifth + Broadway redevelopment. The 4,000-square-foot store will stock apparel, accessories and gear for men, women and children.
Casey’s: The retailer is testing a convenience store that shuns fuel pumps and instead serves the nearby walkable community. Near Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, it opened its first store that will not sell gas. The 3,380-square-foot unit will focus on Casey’s convenience food-and-beverage offerings. “We’re always looking at where we’re situating ourselves and what will make sense there,” said Casey’s director of communications and community Katie Petru. “A more urban environment or college campus environment could naturally lend itself to consider whether fuel needs to be there or not.”
Dick’s Sporting Goods: The retailer is the latest to add resale capabilities. It’s teaming with outdoor gear reseller Out&Back to test buying back unused or unwanted gear at its Dick’s and Public Lands stores in Denver and Pittsburgh. If the test proves successful, Dick’s will expand it to more of its stores.
Francesca’s: The women’s accessories retailer is expanding its Franki tween line with the opening of its first nine standalone stores. The 1,200- to 1,600-square-foot Franki stores will open in top malls in markets where existing Francesca’s stores are performing well with tweens. These include Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, and Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance, California.
Genesis BBQ: The South Korean fried chicken chain opened six new U.S. stores: three in Colorado, two in California and one in Massachusetts. The units bring the chain’s U.S. store count to 150. “American consumers are becoming increasingly interested in Korean foods and pop culture,” the company said. It started opening restaurants outside its home market in 2003 and now has 500 in 57 countries.
Kohl’s: After piloting 20 smaller stores, the department store retailer will open 100 35,000-square-foot stores over the next four years in smaller communities and neighborhoods. First up are Lenox, Massachusetts; San Angelo, Texas; Bonney Lake, Washington; Tacoma, Washington; and Morgantown, West Virginia. These stores could generate $500 million in annual revenue, CEO Michelle Gass said. The stores will average 35,000 square feet.
Lidl: The grocery chain is offering a finder’s fee in the U.K. to people who help the company secure sites for new stores: either 1.5% of the total purchase price or 10% of the first year’s rent for leased spaces. The retailer has distributed a list of locations across the country where it’s seeking sites. The supermarket is opening an average of one store a week in the U.K. and aims for 1,100 total stores by the end of 2025.
Meta: The company formerly known as Facebook will open a 1,550-square-foot store on May 9 next to its Burlingame, California, campus. Visitors can test and buy Meta’s tech products, including virtual reality headsets. Meta is following the path of other tech companies like Microsoft and Google, which have opened stores to promote products. Meta Store, pictured at top, will operate from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays. “Having the store here in Burlingame gives us more opportunity to experiment and keep the customer experience core to our development,” said Meta Store head Martin Gilliard. “What we learn here will help define our future retail strategy.”