Houston — Houston-based women’s clothing and accessories retailer Francesca’s, has voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the District of New Jersey. This filing marks the second time in six years that the retailer has sought bankruptcy protection, with plans to liquidate its inventory and close all of its approximately 400 remaining stores. Tiger Group, SB360 Capital Partners and GA Group, who are acting as advisors to Francesca’s, have commenced court-approved store closing sales across the company’s entire store fleet as part of the Chapter 11 process. Discounts will range from 25 …
Bellevue, Wash. — The operator of Eddie Bauer stores has entered into a voluntary Restructuring Support Agreement (RSA) and has commenced chapter 11 proceedings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the District of New Jersey. The bankruptcy filing for the company involves the entity managing physical stores — Catalyst Brands — not the brand itself, which is owned by Authentic Brands Group and SPARC Group. Eddie Bauer retail and outlet stores in the United States and Canada will remain open and continue serving customers as the company begins its process of closing …
Seattle — At its recent 2026 Investor Day, Starbucks Coffee Co. highlighted progress in its “Back to Starbucks” transformation plan. By fiscal 2028, the company expects to open 2,000 net new stores across its portfolio, including approximately 400 net new U.S. company-operated stores. Brady Brewer, chief executive officer for Starbucks International, shared the company’s plan to accelerate global growth in a program referred to as coffeehouse “uplifts.” With this plan, Starbucks expects to add more than 25,000 café seats across the U.S. by the end of fiscal 2026. Starbucks also announced …
Seattle — Amazon is announcing plans to close its Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh brick-and-mortar stores. A total of 57 Amazon Fresh and 15 Amazon Go stores will shut down in February, according to several media sources. Amazon first launched the cashier-less Amazon Go stores in 2018 and expanded in 2020 with the first Amazon Fresh grocery stores. According to the company, Amazon will instead focus on an effort to prioritize expansion for Whole Foods Market, which it acquired in 2017. Amazon is expected to open more than 100 new Whole …
Las Vegas — Phenix Salon Suites concluded 2025 with 26 new locations, as well as one international venue in York, United Kingdom. Meanwhile, the brand has also recently signed more than 30 new franchise agreements across new and existing markets for 2026, including Texas, Florida, California, New York and New Jersey. Phenix Salon Suites began franchising in 2012 and currently has more than 425 locations across 33 states, with continued plans to expand internationally.
Batavia, Ill. — Aldi, a German discount, small-format grocer, plans to open 180 new stores across 31 states this year. By the end of the year, Aldi will operate approximately 2,800 U.S. grocery stores, including its first Maine location in Portland and 10 new stores in the metro Phoenix area. The grocer has operated stores in the United States for 50 years and has gained a loyal following in recent years as the demand for discount grocery items increases in the face of inflation. The company disclosed that 17 million Americans …
Tampa, Fla. — Strategic Property Partners (SPP) has announced plans to develop an entertainment district in downtown Tampa. The district is proposed for a vacant parcel across from Benchmark International Arena, the 19,092-seat home of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning NHL team. Situated on Channelside Drive between Morgan and Jefferson streets, the new district will support the broader $3 billion Water Street Tampa neighborhood. SPP plans to partner with Lightning owner Vinik Sports Group (VSG) to manage the entertainment venue, which will be privately financed. “Water Street Tampa was designed …
Columbus, Ohio — Home furnishings retailer American Signature Inc. (ASI) has filed for Chapter 11 relief in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Based in Columbus, Ohio, American Signature was founded in 1948 and is the parent company to Value City Furniture and American Signature Furniture, which have more than 120 stores open across 17 states. ASI expects to enter into a stalking horse asset purchase agreement under which, subject to court approval, ASI Purchaser LLC will acquire substantially all of the company’s assets and assume certain …
When Chinese collectible toy phenomenon Pop Mart opened its 24th U.S. location at the Galleria Dallas mall last spring, social media vloggers documented hundreds of fanatic shoppers arriving the night before and then inching their way through retractable belt stanchions the next day to finally enter the store and purchase coveted Labubu collectibles. Pop Mart’s reception in Dallas may be over the top compared to the more standard welcome that other international brands receive in the United States, but foreign retailers and food-and-beverage operators are nevertheless discovering enthusiastic U.S. shopper …
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Retail is the Catalyst for Belonging
By Brandon Wernli, studio director at KTGY The time we live in is marked by a profound transformation in how people work, live and connect with each other. Since 2020, shopping centers, regional malls, commercial plazas and lifestyle districts have reasserted themselves as more than places of financial transaction; they are a social necessity. We are living through a societal shift away from the postwar model of expansive single-family homes and isolated retail strips. Reversing decades of suburban sprawl, the residences built today are reducing lot sizes and favoring connectedness …
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