US Polo Assn. Opens at Lulu Mall Lucknow

U.S. Polo Assn. opens at Lulu Mall Lucknow

U.S. Polo Assn. has opened a new store at LuLu Mall Lucknow. The new store showcases the sport-inspired lifestyle brand’s latest Autumn/Winter Collection. With this store launch, the city is now host to 7 exclusive U.S. Polo Assn. stores. Speaking about the launch, Amitabh Suri, CEO, U.S. Polo Assn. – Arvind Fashions Limited said, “Lulu Mall is one of the most popular malls in the city and we are elated to inaugurate our new store here. The U.S. Polo Assn. store at Lulu Mall carries the entire might of our product offerings: Sportswear, Denim & Co., Kidswear, Footwear & Innerwear. This new store is yet another step forward in our growth plan to emerge as the ultimate destination for premium, relaxed casualwear.” SOURCE: INDIA RETAILING (READ MORE: https://bit.ly/3D5xupp)

Indoor mini-golf/dining concept Puttshack continues U.S. expansion with new capital

Puttshack (Photo credit: The Louis Collection)

An entertainment destination that combines tech-driven mini-golf with food and drink and whose creators include the founders of Topgolf has closed a new round of funding to support its U.S. expansion. Puttshack has opened at Brickell City Centre, in Miami, an outdoor dining, entertainment, shopping, culture and community centre developed by Swire Properties. The new location comes on the heels of the company’s announcement earlier this month that it has secured $150 million in growth capital from BlackRock to support its expansion in top U.S. markets. SOURCE: CHAIN STORE AGE | 24 OCT 2022 (READ MORE: https://bit.ly/3TBLLBd)

Swedish Fashion Label Filippa K Launches into Mainland China

The online store features the brand’s new autumn/winter 22 collection, as well as the core women’s, men’s, active and loungewear collections. Creative Director Lisa Kessler’s first collection for Filippa K, the spring/ summer 23 pre-collection, will be available from November. Filippa K’s CEO Rikard Frost said: “Scandinavian customers have loved Filippa K for many years, so I’m very excited to have introduced the brand to China this year. The house has a unique position within high-end fashion, offering a distinctly Scandinavian design perspective that’s rooted in sustainability. I hope the Chinese audience will appreciate this approach as much as we do.” SOURCE: RETAIL NEWS ASIA (READ MORE: https://bit.ly/3FleAO5)

Forever 21 Opening 14 Stores Across the U.S.

Forever 21 has already begun a nationwide brickand-mortar expansion plan — with an emphasis on outlet locations. The fast-fashion retailer will open 14 new stores across the country, including a new location at the Gran Plaza Outlets in Calexico, Calif., which opened in August 2022. The Calexico store is the first in a series of Forever 21 openings scheduled to roll out across America through June 2023. (See the complete list of the upcoming new stores at end of the article.) “We’re seeing even more consumers returning to the in-store shopping experience,” said Winnie Park, who took the reins as CEO of Forever 21 in January. “While our online business remains strong and a key component of our growth strategy, we love interacting with our consumers in-store.” SOURCE: CHAIN STORE AGE (READ MORE: https://bit.ly/3W0GJjb)

Phillips 66 Deploys Autonomous Cleaning Robots

A fuel/convenience retailer is offering selfdirected robotic floor scrubbers to its network of more than 7,000 stores. Phillips 66 is partnering with floor cleaning equipment and technology company Ice Cobotics to enable branded Phillips 66, Conoco, 76, and Phillips 66 Aviation locations to utilize Ice Cobotics Cobi 18 autonomous floor scrubbers. Cobi 18 robots are designed to clean 5,000 to 7,000 square feet of floor space per hour and can be deployed multiple times per day to clean floors. “We are excited to step into the future with Ice Cobotics by enabling our customers to lower operating costs and provide consumers with a cleaner experience with Cobi 18,” said Phillips 66 manager of branded sales Lou Burke. SOURCE: CHAIN STORE AGE (READ MORE: https://bit.ly/3SDhQHl)

Second Amazon Style Apparel Store Officially Opens

Amazon is expanding its dive into fashion retail in the physical space. The company has opened its second Amazon Style store, a format that is designed to combine the personalization of e-commerce with the immediacy of brick-and-mortar shopping. Located at Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio, the store was initially announced in June 2022. Amazon debuted the concept in May 2022 at The Americana at Brand, an upscale lifestyle centre in Glendale, Calif. Using the Amazon Shopping app, Amazon Style customers scan an item’s QR code to send it to a fitting room, or send it directly to the store’s pickup counter to purchase. The fitting rooms at the store have been reimagined as a personalized spaces where customers can continue to shop without having to leave. SOURCE: CHAIN STORE AGE (READ MORE: https://bit.ly/3zfPT1s)

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