Content about Company Expansion

Jim von Maur

President, Von Maur

HEADQUARTERS Davenport, Iowa

TYPE OF BUSINESS Department store retailer

NUMBER OF STORES 35 in 11 states (27 Von Maur stores, eight Dry Goods stores)

Seventeen years ago, in the January 1996 issue of Chain Store Age, Jack Arth, who at the time was president of Von Maur, explained how the circa 1928 department store retailer set out to differentiate itself from competitors such as the then hugely influential Federated and May chains.

Seattle -- Starbucks Coffee Company reaffirmed its commitment to accelerate growth in Southeast Asia, announcing plans to open 100 stores in Indonesia over the next three years and another 100 stores in the Philippines over the next four years.

Starbucks entered Southeast Asia in 1996 with its first store in Singapore. The company currently operates more than 700 stores across six countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and, most recently, Vietnam.

Atlanta -- Global Franchise Group said Wednesday it is expanding its Puerto Rican presence via a multi-unit operator.

A.M.A. Pretzels International opened two Great American Cookies stores in Puerto Rico -- in Plaza Carolina in Carolina, and Plaza Rio Hondo in Bayamon.

"Global Franchise Group is thrilled to have such outstanding multi-unit franchisees expand the Great American Cookies brand in Puerto Rico," said Global Franchise Group chief development officer John Barber.

Bellevue, Wash. -- Coinstar has announced a new feature available at some Coinstar kiosks that enables consumers to deposit or withdraw funds from their PayPal accounts, as well as send money to another PayPal account.

The rollout began in February in Texas, Northern California, and Ohio, and will continue at select kiosks throughout the year, said the company.

Pittsburgh -- American Eagle Outfitters announced plans to open a series of vertically owned and operated-stores in Mexico, with the first location set to open on February 20, 2013, in Mexico City.
   
The store will be located in the Perisur’s shopping center, a mall located in the south part of Mexico City. Each AEO store will include an Aerie presence either in shop-in-shop or side-by-side form.

Some are merchants, with long careers in brick-and-mortar stores. Others are tech trailblazers, using new media to match merchandise and buyers. Others are influencing retail in less direct, but no less significant, ways. All share an ability to create new opportunities and, in their own way, are looking to reinvent the shopping experience. And all wield a great deal of influence in today’s complex retail landscape.

Beijing -- Starbucks Coffee Co. advanced its growth plans in China with the opening of its 100th store in Beijing. The company also announced the launch of Starbucks China University, its talent development program.

Starbucks has announced that China will be its second largest market by 2014 and will have 1,500 stores by 2015 across more than 70 cities. It currently operates 700 locations throughout Mainland China.”

Seattle -- Nordstrom announced plans to open Nordstrom Rack stores in the Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosa, Wis.; Ann Arbor, Mich., and Columbus, Ohio.

It will be the retailer's first location in the state of Wisconsin.

The approximately 36,000-sq.-ft. store in Wauwatosa, Wis., is scheduled to open in spring 2014 at The Mayfair Collection, a 250,000-sq.-ft. planned adaptive reuse development of a former industrial complex and distribution center.

New York -- Saks Inc. said Monday it has launched AT&T Wi-Fi at all 44 retail locations nationwide.

The AT&T Wi-Fi network connects shoppers with mobile tools such as the new Saks Fifth Avenue app, which offers features such as shareable wish lists, fashion look books, event calendars and more. AT&T customers with select Wi-Fi enabled devices will auto-authenticate to the in-store Wi-Fi service, so frequent shoppers will be automatically connected to Saks Fifth Avenue’s Wi-Fi each time they re-visit the store.

Minneapolis -- Caribou Coffee Co. announced it will be expanding its retail and commercial footprint in the Chicagoland area by teaming up with supermarket operator Jewel-Osco, which is part of the Supervalu company.

Caribou Coffee opened its first retail location within Jewel-Osco's Barrington store last week, with plans to introduce two additional coffeehouses in the grocery's Hoffman Estates and Countryside locations in the near future, as well as five additional coffeehouses within Jewel-Osco in 2013.

Canton, Mass. -- Dunkin' Donuts announced Monday that it has signed a franchisee agreement to expand the brand's presence in Germany.

The new franchisee group, consisting of local businessmen Sadi Sanlav and Mo Rahimi, plans to develop at least 15 new Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in the Frankfurt, Rhine-Main area of Germany over the next five years.
 

In an effort to promote retail entrepreneurism among today’s youth, Jones Lang LaSalle is inviting kids ranging from six to 15 years of age to participate in its “Kids, Inc.” program. The program will be hosted at select Jones Lang LaSalle-managed shopping centers throughout the United States.