Northbrook, Ill. — Hilco Consumer-Retail (HCR) has completed the acquisition of operations for Hanes Outlet and Maidenform stores. HCR plans to leverage its RevUp program, which implements virtual store management with retail experts, at the stores. “We are thrilled that Hanes selected us to continue their retail brick and mortar operations, and we are excited to hit the ground running with the dedicated store teams,” says Ian Fredericks, president and chief executive officer of HCR.
Alpharetta, Ga. — Metro Atlanta-based Honey Baked Ham Co. has signed a four-unit franchise deal in the Northeast. Locations will include Worcester, Massachusetts, as well as elsewhere in the state and an additional location in Rhode Island. Tom McGwire, great-grandson of the brand’s founder, will own and operate the units, along with his father Tad McGwire and brothers Charlie and Brett McGwire. This will bring Tom McGwire’s Honey Baked Ham portfolio to eight stores, following a previous deal to develop four stores across Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
Tampa, Fla. — Japanese variety retailer Daiso has announced plans to open its first Florida Store in Tampa. Scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2025, the store will be situated within Northdale Promenade. David Eggnatz of Katz & Associates represented Daiso, in the leasing negotiations. Brian Hector represented the landlord, Kite Realty, on an internal basis. Daiso is currently seeking additional sites throughout Florida ranging in size from 7,000 to 12,000 square feet.
The Woodlands, Texas — Conn’s HomePlus, a Texas-based home furnishing retailer, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will close at least 70 stores nationwide, according to reports from multiple media outlets including CNN and USA Today. The latter publication reports that Conn’s filed for bankruptcy protection this past Tuesday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas amid slumping revenue reports. The impacted stores are located throughout 13 states, according to CNN. Both news organizations report that the state with the highest concentration of closures is Florida (18), followed by Texas …
Falls Church, Va. — Chicken salad restaurant concept Chicken Salad Chick has opened a new restaurant in Falls Church, a suburb of Washington, D.C. The first of eight units planned in the Northern Virginia suburbs of D.C., this marks the brand’s first entry into the market. Franchisee Devon Chamberlin will own and operate the units, with the next restaurant to be opened in Fairfax.
Austin, Texas and Orlando, Fla. — Darden Restaurants (NYSE: DRI) has agreed to acquire Chuy’s Holdings (NASDAQ: CHUY) for $605 million in an all-cash transaction. The Tex-Mex restaurant chain — which owns and operates 101 full-service restaurants across 15 states — will join Darden’s existing restaurant portfolio, which includes Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse and Ruth’s Chris Steak House, among others. Under terms of the merger agreement, Orlando-based Darden will acquire all outstanding shares of Chuy’s at $37.50 per share. The purchase price represents a 40 percent premium to the Austin-based company’s …
Dallas — Dallas-based food-and-beverage franchising company BRIX Holdings LLC has entered into an agreement with franchise owner Richard Stassi to open four new units in Arizona and Missouri. Stassi will open three Smoothie Factory + Kitchen and Red Mango co-branded shops within the next three years in metro Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona. The first of the units is scheduled to open in early 2025. Franchisee Gary Patel signed the fourth deal with Stassi and will open a Red Mango store in Kansas City, Missouri, in early 2025, marking the first entry …
Roswell, Ga. — Hardware retail chain Ace Hardware has opened its 5,000th domestic store. Dubbed Fixit Ace Hardware, the store is located in Roswell, roughly 20 miles north of Atlanta. Additionally, the retailer opened its 100th new store of the year in Henderson, Nevada, last month. Ace, which operates more than 5,800 outposts globally, plans to open an additional 200 stores by the end of this year, which marks 100 years of business for the brand.
Quincy, Mass. — Stop & Shop, a grocery store chain based in the Boston suburb of Quincy, has announced plans to close 32 locations by the end of this year. Situated throughout the Northeast, the stores — described in a press release as “underperforming” — are located in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island. According to the grocer, the affected stores will shutter on or before Nov. 2. Associates at the locations will be offered other employment within the company. “As we announced in May, Stop & Shop …
Columbus, Ohio — Discount retailer Big Lots plans to close 35 to 40 stores this year, according to an SEC filing submitted by the company. Big Lots saw a 10.2 percent year-over-year decrease in net sales in the first quarter of 2024. In addition to the closures, the company announced plans to open three stores this year, though the filing cites “substantial doubt about the company’s ability to continue.” In a June press release, the retailer attributed declining sales to a “challenging consumer environment.”