Brett Dworski’s Post

Maybe It Was Bad Karma + An Unrealistic So Called Value Proposition, That Collapsed Two Of What Should Have Been The Coolest Grocery Store Brands!!! Dom's Bullied Plum Market, High Value Great, Beautifully Ran Operation, HQ'd In Michigan, Out of A Great Location, To Get Its Second Location, In Chicago's Old Town. Dom's Promised The Realtor 10 Total Locations, So The Unethical Realtor Abruptly Refused To Renew The Lease of, Their Client, Plum's Lease of the 20K Sq Ft. Store For 10 Years. Obviously, They Never Opened Another Location. Regarding The Unrealistic Value Proposition, The Prices Were Exorbitant, Making It Not The Best Place To Actually Shop. So It Operated More As A High End Coffee Shop Filled With Too Expensive Food; Ran By Starry Eyed Late GenXers and Millennials Spending Dominic Mariano's Money; He Received From Selling Roundy's, Of Which He Was CEO, Owner of His Name Sake Mariano's Chain, To Kroger. Regarding Foxtrot, I Could Not Patronize The Store Chain, Though I Wanted To, Because It Was A "Too Cool For Cash" Operation. I Understand Cash Will Be Obsolete One Day, By Hook Or CrooK; But That DAy Ain't Now. What percentage of Americans use cash? Cash remains king – 67% of Americans still use traditional in-store payment. Recent data from YouGov Profiles provides an overview of how American adults are engaging with mobile payment systems, and their choices for in-store and online purchases over the last 30 days.Feb 12, 2024 Also Considering Their 30 Location's In About % States, They Probably Over Aggressively Expanded Beyond Their Capabilities To Do So, Making The Merger With Dom's Like A Good Idea; Again To Starry Eyed Late GenXers + Millennials In Management. In My Humble Opinion!!!

There are certain CPG category economics and fundamentals that cannot be ignored. In many situations and categories, premium-priced and premium-positioned brands flourish because they benefit in placement on the back of the economies of scale provided by a) the distribution of mass-market brands and b) foot-traffic of mainstream category shoppers. This is mostly true at the brand owner, distributor and retailer level. But, it is always sad to see innovative concepts fail as Arthur Gallego points out. Sad for the concepts and risk takers and sad for the employees and emerging CPG brand owners who might not get paid.

SSCS customer, MacFood Mart, shows how independent c-stores can thrive! By focusing on community, adaptability, and personalized experiences, they’re proving that smaller operators can compete with the big players. CStore Decisions https://bit.ly/3UZ71mT

Big news: 7-Eleven is shuttering 444 convenience stores in North America due to underperformance, parent company Seven & i Holdings revealed on Thursday. Seven & i also revealed Thursday that it agreed to offload an undisclosed number of 7-Eleven c-stores in North America via sale-leaseback for a profit of $520 million. That deal is expected to close in February 2025. Both moves coincide with Seven & i announcing Thursday that it slashed its net income forecast for the fiscal year 2024, as well as created a spinoff company for its non-convenience segments amid investor pressure to prioritize its c-store arm. https://lnkd.in/gpkcg4xM

With the fourth generation of the Reid family at the helm, Crosby's Stores (Reid Stores, Inc.) is in growth mode as it reimages stores with a new logo and color scheme and redesigns sites to bring its Crosby’s Pizza and Subs foodservice program front and center. Today, Crosby’s operates 88 stores in New York and Pennsylvania. Headquartered in Lockport, N.Y., its parent company, The Reid Group, is celebrating 102 years in business. Steve Reid, president of Reid Stores dba Crosby’s; his sister Meredith Harris, president of Reid Cos.; and her husband Alexander Harris, president of Reid Petroleum, represent the fourth generation of the company and now hold the reins as they lead the business into the next decade and beyond. There aren’t many c-store chains that thrive through four generations of leadership and more than a century in business, but The Reid Group has consistently adapted as the landscape has shifted, growing from its early focus on auto repair to wholesale gas distribution and heating oil sales to convenience stores. Now, the chain is once again adapting to a shifting market, embracing a food-focused future, with an eye on store design and technological advancement, including a mobile app and loyalty program, order ahead, and delivery. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/g7dGuXW4

There’s More Than One Way to Grow Big Growing bigger is a natural desire of any business. The old adage is, when you stop growing, you start dying. For convenience store chains, this is the way of life. And the growth occurs in various ways. Some chains focus on organic growth, by expanding into new territories, and opening new stores, one or a few at a time. Others, not so patient, just buy up the competition, adding dozens, or even hundreds of stores at a time. While organic growth is healthy and natural, it does not make for a catchy news. M&A deals tend to have more newsworthiness. For example: Casey’s General Stores announced this week the acquisition of Fike’s Wholesale, the owner of CEFCO convenience stores, adding almost 200 stores to chain’s already massive network that is getting close to 2,900 stores. The price tag? Cool $1,145 Billion. (continue reading at the link below) https://lnkd.in/eMxw8iCU

The food and #retail worlds have a new casualty: the collapse of innovative boutique grocery chain 🦊 Foxtrot, which merged with Dom's Kitchen & Market last fall. Per reports, all 33 stores have shuttered and the company is preparing for a Chapter 7 filing, meaning total liquidation. In just a decade, Foxtrot went from being a darling of #foodandbeverage retail, to another case study for failure in the CPG, retail, and investor worlds. Across 9 rounds, the chain raised between $170mm-186mm 💸 💸 💸 And Foxtrot closing IS a loss, because so many of the most innovative concepts in retail merchandising, that support the discovery and incubation of new products and brands, come from the smaller, highly-curated chains (like Erewhon on the west coast). These are the stomping grounds of curious #foodies and consumers who embrace all kinds of food and drink, fearlessly, and often with less price sensitivity. I’ve said this before, "retail is ROUGH". Almost a year ago, a prime location of Sprouts shuttered in West Hollywood, in what should have been a foolproof location based on flanking businesses, car and pedestrian traffic, and a free garage. The space on Santa Monica Boulevard still sits empty. Clothing retailer EXPRESS, a pioneer in American fast fashion, this week announced its own #bankruptcy and the closing of ~100 locations. While Express’ relationship with real estate is different than Foxtrot’s, since Express is usually a mall anchor tenant, the issues of rent (including inflexible landlords also under financial pressure), FF&E, utilities, staffing and these days security, are the same -- and rising. I'm sending my best to those at the now-closed Foxtrot stores, and also to the vendors who may be owed money.

Dollar General's strategic expansion into rural markets has positioned it as a leader in the retail space, with a significant store count advantage over competitors. The company's focus on underserved areas offers convenience and affordability, driving consistent growth despite broader retail challenges. This approach not only meets consumer needs but also supports efficient operations and quick payback on new stores. As Dollar General continues to expand, its physical presence remains a critical aspect of its business strategy, even as e-commerce reshapes retail dynamics. Follow the link to read more: https://buff.ly/4bjMwr9 #RetailStrategy #DollarGeneral #MarketExpansion #RuralRetail

When 99 Cents Only filed for bankruptcy in April, it left 28 empty big box sites throughout the Valley. The move came as conditions in the Phoenix retail market were near the tightest level on record and available space for expanding retailers was hard to come by. Five months later, several companies like Dollar Tree and Aldi have taken the opportunity to grow their store counts, providing a peek into the strategies of different retailers. CoStar subscribers can read more at the link below about the current status of former 99 Cents Only locations and expectations moving forward: https://lnkd.in/g4mYYk4v #costar #cre #phoenix #phoenixrealestate #99centsonly #retail #retailinvesting

Did you make it to Foxtrot? If so, what was your experience in Austin? Seems that Blue won the battle...for now 🌟 Royal Blue Grocery thrives amid Foxtrot Market's closure: 📉 Foxtrot Market's sudden shutdown in Austin didn't impact Royal Blue Grocery, which continues to succeed after 18 years. 📍 Royal Blue operates seven stores in downtown Austin and one in San Antonio, catering to a diverse clientele. 📊 Targets a 37% profit margin annually and added a commissary kitchen to boost profits through ready-to-eat foods. 🚀 Co-owner Craig Staley credits slow and steady growth vs. Foxtrot's rapid expansion with heavy fundraising but fewer stores. 🙏 Received positive customer feedback post-Foxtrot's exit, with some patrons asking Royal Blue to take over vacated locations. 🛠️ Staley and co-owner George Scariano started from humble beginnings and grew the business by recognizing and seizing market opportunities. 📈 Despite a challenging year, Royal Blue's sales are rebounding, with strategic expansion plans in place for Austin's developing areas. Interested in what is happening in the Austin Real Estate Market? Call or text 512.949.1418 or zroesinger@RESOLUTRE.com #RoyalBlueGrocery #AustinBusiness #ShopLocal #EntrepreneurSuccess #GrowthMindset #CommunitySupport #MarketTrends #RetailInnovation #SustainableBusiness #AustinCommercialRealEstate #CommercialRealEstate #RetailSpace #OfficeSpace #AustinBusiness #InvestInAustin #CRE #PropertyManagement #AustinRetail #DowntownAustin #ATXRealEstate #AustinOffices #EastAustin #WarehouseAustin #AustinLandlords #AustinTenants