7-Eleven to Open 500 "Food-Forward" Stores by 2027 7-Eleven plans to open 500 new stores between 2025 and 2027, with 125 locations set for 2025. The "New Standard" stores will feature expanded food offerings, digital innovations, frictionless shopping, and electric vehicle charging stations. These new stores are expected to outperform existing stores by 13% in same-store sales in their first year and achieve a 30% increase in sales per store day within four years. (Chain Store Age 10/25) [Read]

Chipotle Plans Over 300 New Restaurants in 2025 Chipotle plans to open 315-345 new restaurants in 2025, with over 80% featuring Chipotlanes—pickup lanes exclusively for mobile orders. These lanes are designed to increase order pick-up speed. Chipotlanes will drive higher sales volumes, improve profit margins, and deliver better returns on investment, making them a critical part of Chipotle's strategy to reach 7,000 North American locations. (Bisnow 11/20) [Read]

Surcheros Sees Strong Growth, Plans 100 Locations Surcheros achieved a 29% revenue increase in 2024 as they opened nearly 10 new stores. The Tex-Mex brand holds 34 locations across Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee, and plans to open 12 new stores in 2025, targeting Jacksonville, Birmingham, and Charlotte. The branch has a goal of opening 100 more locations in five years. (Retail & Restaurant Facility Business 11/19) [Read]

Burlington to Open 100 New Locations in 2025 Burlington is set to open 100 net new stores in 2025, aiming to reach 500 net new openings between 2024 and 2028. The off-price retailer has seen strong sales growth, with Q3 revenue rising 11%. CEO Michael O’Sullivan attributed growth to its new store openings, most of which are part of the company’s new 25,000-square-foot prototype format. (Chain Store Age 11/27) [Read]

Tractor Supply Expands to 90 New Stores in 2025 Tractor Supply plans to open 90 new stores in 2025, as well as increasing its long-term goal from 3,000 locations to 3,200. The company is aiming for a 6%-8% growth in net sales. The company is also aiming to open 10 new Petsense by Tractor Supply stores in 2025. (Chain Store Age 12/6) [Read]

Dick’s Sporting Goods Q3 Beats Estimates, Expanding with 15 New Locations Dick’s Sporting Goods reported a 4.2% increase in same-store sales and net income of $228 million. The company raised its full-year same-store sales forecast to 3.6%–4.2%. Dick’s plans to expand its House of Sport and Field House concepts with 15 new locations in 2025. (Chain Store Age 11/26) [Read]

Walmart Leads as Top Grocer Walmart dominates as the primary grocer in America, followed by Kroger, Aldi, Costco, and Publix. Despite its size, Walmart ranks last in customer satisfaction and trust. H-E-B tops loyalty rankings, while Publix is considered the most well-rounded by excelling across departments. Consumers continue to put pricing, convenience, and value as top factors in their grocer decision making. (Chain Store Age 11/26) [Read]

Life Time Gym Opening in West Boca Raton Life Time will open a 37,000-square-foot facility in late 2025 in the Uptown Boca mixed-use development. This will be Life Time’s fifth South Florida location and its second in Boca Raton. Uptown Boca includes other tenants such as REI, Bonefish Grill, and Chick-Fil-A. (South Florida Business Journal 11/26) [Read]

Trader Joe’s Opens in Palm Harbor Trader Joe’s opened its new Palm Harbor store on Dec. 12^th. The location, in the Highland Lakes Plaza in northern Tampa, also features tenants such as Michaels, Famous Footwear, and Orangetheory Fitness. (Yahoo 12/9) [Read]

Ace Hardware Unveils New Concept, Plans $1B Investment Ace Hardware is introducing its new experiential store format, “Elevate3 Ace,” to enhance the customer experience and drive store growth. The concept will feature brand showrooms, outdoor backyard spaces, and a focus on brands that fuel growth such as grilling and power tool products. This concept will be rolled out starting January 2025, while the company also plans to invest $1 billion in remodeling existing locations and opening new stores. (Chain Store Age 8/8) [Read]

TJX Sees Strong Q3 Results TJX reported better-than-expected earnings and revenue for their Q3 with sales gaining roughly 6%. This comes from a strong boost in their international division, leading the company towards entering Spain in 2026, aiming for over 100 stores long-term. TJX raised its full-year earnings guidance and reported strong early holiday sales. (Chain Store Age 11/20) [Read]

Nordstrom Q3 Beats Expectations Nordstrom reported better-than-expected Q3 results, driven by a 4.6% net sales growth and 6.4% growth in digital sales. Nordstrom Rack continues to thrive, seeing a 10.6% growth in sales for the quarter and 23 new locations opening this year. Despite an overall decline in net income, the company remains confident about its expected performance in the holiday season. (Chain Store Age 11/27) [Read]

Ross Stores Earnings Top Estimates, Sales Fall Short Ross Stores reported Q3 net income of $489 million, surpassing expectations, despite sales falling short. Slower business and execution issues in merchandising contributed to the downturn in sales for the quarter. The company added 43 new Ross stores and four DD’s Discounts locations, expanding to a total of 1,836 Ross stores and 356 DD’s Discounts locations. (Chain Store Age 11/22) [Read]

Target Misses in Q3, Cuts Full-Year Outlook Target reported Q3 earnings and revenue that missed estimates, despite price-cutting efforts and early holiday promotions. Net income fell in the quarter despite sales and revenue slightly increasing. Target cut its full-year earnings forecast, citing cautious consumer spending and higher costs. (Chain Store Age 11/20) [Read]

Big Lots' Sale Approved, Closing 500 Stores Big Lots received court approval for the sale of its assets to private equity firm Nexus Capital Management, following its bankruptcy filing. The $760 million deal is expected to close in December. Big Lots plans to close approximately 500 stores, aiming to reposition itself for future growth. (Chain Store Age 11/25) [Read]

Brixmor Acquires Britton Plaza for $59.9M Brixmor, a New York-based REIT, purchased the 460,000-square-foot Britton Plaza in South Tampa for $59.9 million. Tenants include Publix, Burlington, Marshalls, Michaels, and Pet Supermarket. (Bldup 11/25) [Read]

RK Centers Acquires Fountains of Miramar for $42.3M RK Centers purchased Fountains of Miramar, a 147,281-square-foot center, for $42.3 million. The property includes tenants like Marshalls, HomeGoods, and Ross Dress for Less and is shadow anchored by Home Depot. The seller, Lacera and Stockbridge Capital, purchased the center for $40 million in 2018. (News Real Estate 11/19) [Read]

Crosswinds Shopping Center Sells for $20.5M Crosswinds Shopping Center in St. Petersburg sold for $20.5 million to Crim & Associates and Wallace Properties. The 141,577-square-foot center is fully leased, with tenants including Marshalls, Michaels, Bealls, and Havertys. The deal included a $12 million loan from MidFlorida Credit Union. (Tampa Bay Business Journal 12/3) [Read]

The Shoppes at Palmer Ranch Sells for $20.4M The Shoppes at Palmer Ranch, a 65,417-square-foot Publix-anchored center in Sarasota, has sold for $20.4 million. The fully leased property features a new Publix store prototype with a drive-thru pharmacy and Publix Liquors. WMG Development sold the center to The Wilder Companies with Colliers representing both parties, with additional sales of out parcels for $3.35 million and $2.14 million. (Connect CRE 11/25) [Read]

Seven Hills Plaza Sells for $17.3M Continental Realty Corporation sold Seven Hills Plaza, an 87,250-square-foot shopping center in Spring Hill, for $17.3 million. They acquired the property in 2019 for $9.8 million, increasing its value by over $7.5 million by improving occupancy from 72% to 99% and adding tenants such as Altitude Trampoline Park and American Family Care. (Continental Realty Corporation 12/4) [Read]

Northtowne Square Sells for $15.5M The 96,009-square-foot center in Lakeland was fully leased at the time of the sale with tenants including Harbor Freight and Fancy Fruit & Produce. Marcus & Millichap brokered the $15.5 million sale, representing both the buyer and seller in the transaction. (Shopping Center Business 12/6) [Read]

Black Friday Online Sales Break Records Online Black Friday sales in 2024 hit a record $10.8 billion, up 10.2% from 2023. Global sales grew 8% over the weekend, and Cyber Monday saw a 6% sales increase. However, brick-and-mortar stores experienced more modest growth, with in-store sales increasing by just 0.7%, reflecting a slight year-over-year decline in foot traffic as more shoppers gravitated toward online platforms for holiday deals. (SGB Media 12/2) [Read]

U.S. Retail Faces Low Absorption, Limited New Construction in Q3 U.S. retail space in Q3 saw flat or declining absorption, with reports from Lee & Associates and Cushman & Wakefield highlighting minimal new construction and rising rents. Limited space availability and high tenant demand drove rents upward, and experts forecast fewer opportunities for new retail space in 2025. (Connect CRE 12/2) [Read]

Central Florida Attracts Influx of Wealth Central Florida's economy has been bolstered by a $3 billion net gain in tax returns from 2021 to 2022. This has been a direct result of relocation from states like New York and California. Volusia County experienced the highest growth, with a $782 million increase. Wealth management firms are benefiting from this wealth influx, particularly in areas like DeLand, Daytona Beach, and DeBary, where median incomes have surged by over 60% from 2017 to 2022. (Orlando Business Journal 11/28) [Read]