Throwback to our Swindon shop opening. We can't believe it's been 2 months since we launched the store! Have you picked up any bargains? We're all stocked up for Summer so come and pay us a visit!
Really interesting to see the launch of this new, hard discount grocery format in Canada. Question is - what is stopping this type of innovation in New Zealand?
Let me invite you inside our new no name store pilot. As you can tell we have taken as much cost out of the store as possible and passed all savings on to our customers. No refrigerators, few deliveries, no flyer, limited opening hours, reused old shelving, minimal use of electricity. As a result the store is up to 20% cheaper product by product compared with 4 other discounters and two thirds of the products are less than $5. Will it work? I honestly don’t know but so far we are off to a good start here in Windsor. The next 6 months will tell. Being brave enough to continue to experiment is key to us especially because success is never guaranteed.. Store is located in Windsor, Ontario and a big thank you to the No Frills team for setting this up in only a few weeks! Have a great day
Macy's might close its big store in San Francisco's Union Square. This could happen in 2025 or later as part of their plan to shut down some stores that aren't doing so great. They want to focus on making the stores they keep even better and opening smaller ones. Macy's has been trying to keep up with shoppers who want different things now and areas where it's tough for stores to do well. They're planning to close about 150 stores by 2026, but they'll keep about 350 open and make them nicer. In the real estate biz, we often see similar challenges and changes. At Cudd Realty, we're all about helping small businesses and our community in North Texas. When big retail stores like Macy's change their plans, it can make new opportunities for local businesses and real estate. That's where we can help figure out what's best for everyone. Thinking about how changes in the retail world could open up new real estate chances? Wanting to get the inside scoop on how it might impact your plans? Reach out and let's have a conversation about what's happening and where you could fit in. Call or text me, Michael Cudd, at 940-595-0138. Let's turn change into an opportunity together. #CuddRealty #NorthTexasRealEstateNews #RetailChanges #CommunityGrowth #RealEstateOpportunities
This article makes me very happy! I talk a lot about the shift of the high street based on the demise of the department store, and as a former department store buyer, I couldn’t be more excited that independent department stores are focussing on more contemporary strategies to boost sales & to thrive & flourish: 🧒Consumer- centric engagement 🏪Experiential collaborations with brands ✅ Sustainable Visual Merchandising techniques 👗Brand curation with unique exclusivity 🧑🦰Personalisation within in-store services 💻Omni channel synergy - fulfilling online expectations Thanks Drapers for giving us some positivity in Retail to shout about!! #retailexperience #retailbrands #brandexperience
As of March 2024, there are 139 independent department stores in England and Wales, up from 122 in 2014, according to Local Data Company. To find out how they are stepping up their offerings to attract the next generation of consumers while national chains are increasingly disappearing from the high street, Drapers hears from John Adams, managing director of Jarrolds, Mark Dransfield, owner of Sandersons Department Store , Jenny Foster, project director of Sparks Bristol, Barkers Northallerton, Austins Department Store and many more. Read the full story below. #independents #departmentstores #retail #retailnews #highstreet
Top Voice . APAC P&L leader. Fortune 50 Executive. B2B specialist. Teambuilder. Change & Turnaround agent . Bestselling Author.
‘Your corner of the mall’© =============== The mall is falling apart. More than half the store space now stands vacant because of non- renewal of contracts by the retailers. The handful of outlets that’re still open, have clearance sale signs outside, meaning that most likely they too are on their final weeks here. The throbbing silence along the vacant & semi-lit corridors that now wear a ghostly emptiness, is almost physically hurtful. For regulars like me who have seen the property at its peak, with 100% store occupancy & bustling with noises of happy shoppers, the sight stabs me with a sense of loss. This post is not about the failed mall. Businesses fail. Downturns & pandemics & the rest of the things we all know. It is rather about the small café at the corner of the 3rd floor that I’m walking towards. A queue of patrons is waiting outside for their turn to be seated. I join them. The clinical efficiency with which we are admitted within minutes & led to our seats by the friendly staff, never fails to amaze me. By the time I reach my table, it has been cleaned & sanitized. The manager, Jim, a jovial man in his 40s, waves at me & walks over to say hello. We exchange pleasantries for a couple of minutes, by when a smiling waiter brings me my Americano, without me having to bother ordering for it, because he knows. I tell Jim that I’m sad to see my favorite mall disintegrate. I ask him how they plan to cope with the imminent closure. Jim grins and tells me that it’s beyond his paycheque to comment on that, but he also shares that their management has already identified multiple alternatives to move to & that he’s confident they’ll do very well in their new location, as always. He then excuses himself to go & join his team where they have assembled inside the kitchen to cut a cake. Apparently, one of the waiters has been made captain today, a day which also coincidentally happens to be his birthday, Jim explains to me with a wink. Sipping my coffee, I observe the vibrant team & their much-adored leader in their quick celebration in the midst of a busy morning. Like me, the other happy customers too don’t seem to mind the small break the staff has taken. In fact, most of us also join them by clapping. Later, as I switch my car back to life at the basement, I find myself thinking about Jim & his team. Something about their attitude moves me every time I see them. There they are, amid gloom & doom, but they carry on with their sunny optimism, doing the only two things that are in their control – taking care of their customers & taking care of their employees. No wonder Jim is not worried about the future of his business. I wish for a world where every leader, big or small, thinks like Jim. While we may not be able to fix the unfairness of the universe, we can surely take care of our corner of the mall. Most of the times, that’s enough. --------------- (An excerpt from my 2023 book, 'Life as unusual - Work as usual'©)
Barnes & Noble, Inc. is opening 50 new stores in 2024 New Barnes & Noble stores still feature in-store cafe and cozy lounge areas, but most are #adaptivereuse or 2nd generation backfills of vacant buildings Many are located in neighborhood sites rather than Power Centers and are ~1/2 the size of the former Barnes & Noble #BigBox prototype So what type of available real estate features: ◾ ~10,000-15,000 square foot building ◾ An open, column-free floor plan for design flexibility ◾ A “neighborhood” site close to customers with access and visibility ◾ Room for a cafe (and even a #drivethru) Former #drugstore real estate Shuttered CVS Health, Walgreens and RITE AID stores may offer the right combination of size, location, access and availability As well as the option to sublease or partner with a #coffeeshop chain like Starbucks, Dutch Bros Coffee, 7 Brew Coffee or BIGGBY COFFEE So will there be a number of drugstore-to-bookstore conversions? Well if Barnes & Noble does not seize this opportunity, other #bookstore operators might Local and independent bookstores -- as well as chains like Books A Million and Goodwill Industries International -- are also adding new stores ⬇ American Booksellers Association Amazon Independent Book Publishers Association
I learned so much throughout the process of opening my Ann Arbor store – from site selection up to unlocking the doors. While the experience was fresh in my mind, I sent the below thoughts to our franchisees. In no particular order: 1) It is not, and will never be, a seamless stress-free process. Things will go wrong nearly every single day. Construction issues. Permitting issues. Vendor issues. You name it. Know this going in. View your role as a relentless problem solver. Of course, we will continue to refine our support structure to make these issues as small as possible. But they’ll never be zero. I don’t say this to scare anyone – simply to manage expectations. If you expect everything to be perfect, you will find yourself in a cycle of disappointment and frustration. 2) Related, you will be very well supported by the MSF team. The amount of knowledge in the system can answer literally any question that could possibly come up. You are not alone. I cannot say enough good things about our entire team. We’re so fortunate. Truly. 3) Trust the system and process. It works. The team spent a decade obsessing over every tiny detail. Being “in it” will give you a greater appreciation for how much thought went into everything. 4) You will go as far as your team. If you have a great team this is a wonderful business. If you don’t it’s not. Care about them as human beings. The culture of your store is everything. It has a direct impact on your customers and ultimately your bottom line. 5) Related to number 1, the final few weeks before opening are extremely time consuming. As will the time immediately after opening. My “office” has been my store and will continue to be. I hired an experienced GM, and I’m still spending a tremendous amount of time in the store. There is no alternative. Plan accordingly. 6) Ultimately, it is YOUR business, so adopting a mindset of accountability is critical. At the end of the day, everything is your responsibility. 7) I did many tasks that arguably were not a good use of my time, but they needed done so I did them. Early mornings. Late nights. Weekends. Whatever it takes. See number 5. 8) Creating goodwill in the community is huge. So many people were excited for us to open yesterday. Lean into this. Make friends with everyone. Giving out free chocolate goes a long way. 😊 It is YOUR store, not some nameless faceless franchise. 9) Utilize all the training resources available to learn the details of the business – you need to know your store inside and out. Then teach others with confidence. 10) YOU set the tone for your store on what’s acceptable. If you allow your store to be dirty, it will be. If you don’t set a standard for how the products should look, they will be substandard. Expectation setting is about teaching and holding your team accountable to standards.
Macy's might close its big store in San Francisco's Union Square. This could happen in 2025 or later as part of their plan to shut down some stores that aren't doing so great. They want to focus on making the stores they keep even better and opening smaller ones. Macy's has been trying to keep up with shoppers who want different things now and areas where it's tough for stores to do well. They're planning to close about 150 stores by 2026, but they'll keep about 350 open and make them nicer. In the real estate biz, we often see similar challenges and changes. At Cudd Realty, we're all about helping small businesses and our community in North Texas. When big retail stores like Macy's change their plans, it can make new opportunities for local businesses and real estate. That's where we can help figure out what's best for everyone. Thinking about how changes in the retail world could open up new real estate chances? Wanting to get the inside scoop on how it might impact your plans? Reach out and let's have a conversation about what's happening and where you could fit in. Call or text me, Michael Cudd, at 940-595-0138. Let's turn change into an opportunity together. #CuddRealty #NorthTexasRealEstateNews #RetailChanges #CommunityGrowth #RealEstateOpportunities
As of March 2024, there are 139 independent department stores in England and Wales, up from 122 in 2014, according to Local Data Company. To find out how they are stepping up their offerings to attract the next generation of consumers while national chains are increasingly disappearing from the high street, Drapers hears from John Adams, managing director of Jarrolds, Mark Dransfield, owner of Sandersons Department Store , Jenny Foster, project director of Sparks Bristol, Barkers Northallerton, Austins Department Store and many more. Read the full story below. #independents #departmentstores #retail #retailnews #highstreet
The 'Toys R us' UK business closed shop 6 years ago now, so this article piqued my interest for MANY reasons. After a quick 20 second web search though, it seems the 'once great' Highstreet name is back with the same problems: ❌ Brick & Mortar dominant ❌ Lacklustre website ❌ Uncompetitive delivery options Toys R us still operate globally, but the UK business filled for bankruptcy in 2018 after years of refusing to adapt to a changing consumer demand. So will the new partnership with WHSmith help grow the brand, or will it be another great case study for the success you will achieve by operating a global eComm business with cross-border capabilities? Just my tuppence, but it would be great to hear how people feel about the 'new' toy store on the block! #retail #ecommerce #growth #toysrus
Macy's might close its big store in San Francisco's Union Square. This could happen in 2025 or later as part of their plan to shut down some stores that aren't doing so great. They want to focus on making the stores they keep even better and opening smaller ones. Macy's has been trying to keep up with shoppers who want different things now and areas where it's tough for stores to do well. They're planning to close about 150 stores by 2026, but they'll keep about 350 open and make them nicer. In the real estate biz, we often see similar challenges and changes. At Cudd Realty, we're all about helping small businesses and our community in North Texas. When big retail stores like Macy's change their plans, it can make new opportunities for local businesses and real estate. That's where we can help figure out what's best for everyone. Thinking about how changes in the retail world could open up new real estate chances? Wanting to get the inside scoop on how it might impact your plans? Reach out and let's have a conversation about what's happening and where you could fit in. Call or text me, Michael Cudd, at 940-595-0138. Let's turn change into an opportunity together. #CuddRealty #NorthTexasRealEstateNews #RetailChanges #CommunityGrowth #RealEstateOpportunities
looks great!