Aldi Plans 225 New Stores, Following Acquisition Aldi will open 225 new stores in 2025, marking its fastest expansion ever. The retailer acquired 400 Winn-Dixie and Harvey’s Supermarket locations in 2023 from C&S Wholesale Grocers. The company plans to convert 220 into Aldi stores while selling 170 back to their former owner. (Bisnow 2/10) [Read]

Dollar Tree Acquires 150 Party City Locations Party City is shutting down all 800 stores after declaring bankruptcy, which has opened the door for Dollar Tree to secure nearly 150 locations at auction for its expansion. Other retailers, including Five Below, Barnes & Noble, and Burlington, are also acquiring leases. (The U.S. Sun 2/13) [Read]

Sprouts Expanding in Florida Sprouts Farmers Market will open at least seven new Florida locations in 2025. The first store opened Jan. 31 in St. Johns, followed by locations in Orlando, St. Petersburg, and Palm Beach County. Upcoming openings include Melbourne (March 14), Largo (March 21), and Coconut Creek (April 25). (Chain Store Age 1/29) [Read]

Whole Foods Opens on Glades Road Whole Foods opened a 35,000 square-foot store at the Uptown Boca shopping center, their second opening in Florida this year. The launch follows a Boynton Beach opening earlier this year as Whole Foods now operates more than 530 stores. (Progressive Grocer 2/12) [Road]

Daiso Opens First Store in Florida The Japanese-owned budget retailer opened its first Florida store on Feb. 1st at Northdale Promenade in Tampa. The 12,026 square-foot store offers Japanese-inspired home decor, kitchenware, beauty products, and more. The expansion is part of Daiso’s broader U.S. growth, with additional locations planned nationwide in 2025. (Tampa Bay Business Journal 2/5) [Read]

Krispy Krunchy Chicken to Open 600+ Locations Krispy Krunchy Chicken opened 605 locations in 2024, but has their sights set on even more openings in 2025. The company plans to focus on collaboration across sales, operations, marketing, and supply chain to enhance brand experience. Krispy Krunchy Chicken now operates over 3,200 locations nationwide. (Chain Store Age 1/27) [Read]

Skechers Plans New Stores in 2025 Skechers will open 180 to 200 company-owned stores worldwide in 2025. The brand recently opened 77 stores in Q4, including 20 big-box locations in the U.S. Net sales for the year rose 12.8%, driven by a 17.5% increase in wholesale sales. (Chain Store Age 2/7) [Read]

H&H Bagels Expands Nationwide H&H Bagels has 70 franchise locations in development, with 20 recently added in Miami, Raleigh-Durham, San Diego, and Orange County. Upcoming openings include Boston, Dallas, D.C., Chicago, and multiple Florida cities, following the success of its first franchise location in Boca Raton that opened last September. (Chain Store Age 2/6) [Read]

Z Gallerie Returns to Brick-and-Mortar Z Gallerie, acquired by Karat Home in January 2024 after filing for bankruptcy, is relaunching physical retail with a warehouse outlet in Gardena, CA, opening in late March. (Chain Store Age 2/13) [Read]

Wendy’s Leads Quick-Serve Foot Traffic Dataplor reports Wendy’s is the most-visited U.S. quick-service chain, followed by Raising Cane’s, Chick-fil-A, Five Guys, and McDonald’s. Subway and McDonald’s have the most locations but don’t dominate foot traffic. In-N-Out leads in the West and Southwest, Culver’s in the Midwest, and Raising Cane’s in the Northeast. (Chain Store Age 2/6) [Read]

Bargain Hunt Files for Chapter 11, Closing All Stores Nashville-based Bargain Hunt has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will close all 92 stores across 10 states by the end of February. The retailer listed assets of $10M–$50M and liabilities of $50M–$100M. Going-out-of-business sales, managed by Hilco Consumer – Retail and Gordon Brothers, are underway. (Chain Store Age 2/5) [Read]

Oak Grove Shoppes Acquired By Joint Venture Cohen & Steers Income Opportunities REIT and Phillips Edison & Company acquired the 142,000 square-foot Oak Grove Shoppes in Altamonte Springs, Orlando. The grocery-anchored center, redeveloped in 2023, is 91% leased, with Publix and Marshalls as key tenants. The deal is part of a $300 million joint venture targeting grocery-anchored shopping centers. (ConnectCRE 1/23) [Read]

Hilco Markets 121 Net-Leased JCPenney Properties Hilco JCP, LLC is marketing 121 net-leased JCPenney properties across 35 states, totaling over 16M square-feet. Half are in the Sunbelt, including 21 in Texas. The properties are under a triple-net master lease with JCPenney, owned by Simon Property Group and Brookfield Asset Management. (ConnectCRE 2/6) [Read]

January Sales Decline, Strong Yearly Growth Core retail sales fell 1.27% in January but rose 5.72% year-over-year. Grocery sales were up 5.65%, while online sales led with 30.49% growth. The NRF credits wage gains and a strong job market for sustained spending. (Chain Store Age 2/10) [Read]

Consumers Cut Back Amid High Grocery Costs A UserTesting survey shows 77% of consumers have changed grocery habits due to rising costs, with 65% buying less meat and eggs. Nearly 84% report higher grocery bills, with 25% spending an additional $100 or more weekly. Shoppers are shifting to Aldi and Walmart, with 52% dropping preferred brands. (Chain Store Age 2/13) [Read]