 |
|
June 10, 2020 • Issue 225 |
|
|
|
|
JCPenney Identifies First Phase of 154 Store Closures; Plans to Reduce Store Footprint
|
 |
Plano, Texas — J. C. Penney Company, Inc. has begun implementing its store optimization strategy by identifying the first 154 stores to close. Following entry of an order at the June 11, 2020, hearing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, in Corpus Christi, Texas, store closing sales will begin at 154 locations. Read more.
|
Mercato Partners Launches New F&B Fund to Develop Promising Restaurant Concepts
|
 |
Salt Lake City — Mercato Partners has launched its inaugural food and beverage fund, Savory. This new fund of $90 million will make investments into compelling, up-and-coming restaurant concepts by providing access to capital together with a team of experienced industry professionals to fuel growth and operations. Read more.
|
Digital Brand Barbell Apparel Opens First Brick-and-Mortar Retail Store
|
 |
Las Vegas — Online retailer Barbell Apparel, in conjunction with International Retail Group (IRG), opened its first brick-and-mortar store in Las Vegas on June 8. The new store is in the heart of Downtown Summerlin, a large outdoor shopping center owned by the Howard Hughes Corporation. Barbell Apparel was founded by a team of life-long friends and athletes who started their story by launching their Athletic Fit Jeans on Kickstarter. Read more.
|
|
|
|
|
Read the May 2020 Issue |
 |
Building a Path Forward
The Home Depot, which remains open during COVID-19, prioritizes the safety of its employees and customers, while still getting the job done.
|
|
Inside the Issue:
- Pros Among the Cons: MUTTS® Canine Cantina
- Re-Entry for Retailers: Returning to the store in a post-pandemic world.
- Delivery on Demand: Ghost kitchens
- Great Adaptations: Facilities management during crises
- Digital First: Retail curbside pickup and mobile apps
- Risky Business? Considerations for restaurants
- Out of the Darkness: Dark store management
- Workable Response: Advice for facilities management teams
- How to Reconnect: Considerations for a successful return to growth for restaurants and retailers.
|
| Read the issue |
| Subscribe to print issue |
|
|
|
|
Red Robin Reopening 65% of Company-Owned Dining Rooms
|
 |
Greenwood Village, Colo. — Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., a full-service restaurant chain, expects to have reopened approximately 270 dining rooms with limited capacity by June 7, 2020, representing approximately 65% of currently open company-operated restaurants. Read more.
|
Pet Wants Reaches 100 Franchise Retail Locations
|
 |
Cincinnati — Pet Wants®, the Cincinnati-based high-quality pet food and supplies franchise, has hit a major milestone: reaching 100 franchise locations. The 100 franchise units — 25 retail stores and 75 mobile operations — all offer free delivery, making the company uniquely positioned to thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more.
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
Coronavirus News |
For COVID-19 related news affecting the retail and restaurant industry, please click here.
Coverage is updated daily. |
|
|
Papa John's Reports May as Best Sales Month in Restaurant History
|
 |
Louisville, Ky. — May 2020 sales at Papa John’s restaurants were up 33.5% in the U.S. and Canada on a year-over-year basis, marking the second month in a row that the pizza chain recorded its highest sales on record, according to Papa John’s Inc. president and CEO Rob Lynch. Read more.
|
Target, Other Retailers Temporarily Close Stores Across Nation in Response to Violent Protests
|
 |
Minneapolis — Minnesota-based discount retailer Target has temporarily closed six stores in four states in response to protests that turned violent over the weekend. The looting and destruction of commercial property took place in the days following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died May 25 following an encounter with Minneapolis police during which an officer knelt on his neck for several minutes. Read more.
|
Top Story |
USGBC Develops Emergency Pilot Credit Addressing Green Cleaning and COVID-19
|
Los Angeles — The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is introducing a new pilot credit in the LEED green building rating system called Safety First: Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Space.
The credit is intended to support buildings and spaces as they work to respond to coronavirus (COVID-19) through sustainable, healthy practices.
The credit provides guidance on effectively cleaning and disinfecting buildings using green cleaning best practices that also meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines relative to COVID-19. Green cleaning strategies outlined in LEED.
To earn the credit, among the things facilities must do are create a policy and implement practices that focus on a healthy indoor environment and worker safety. A team must be in place to implement the program and take the following actions:
• Describe the approach, including a timeline outlining when new cleaning practices were put in place for COVID-19, along with a copy of the green cleaning policy or program.
• Prepare a list of cleaning products and materials used or purchased to clean the facility, noting which are and are not compliant with green cleaning criteria.
• Utilize cleaning equipment that has ergonomic design features to reduce worker injuries due to vibration, noise, and user fatigue.
• Identify “high-touch points” along with frequencies for cleaning and disinfecting them.
• Give a description of the cleaning staff training programs developed specifically to address COVID-19.
• Include training details for the proper application of disinfectants and the use of personal protective equipment.• Implement quantitative testing and verification of the cleanliness of surfaces. • Educate occupants to ensure they understand the steps taken to disinfect and clean the facility and protect human health.
SOURCE: USGBC
|
|
|
Vendor News |
Presto Offers Free Contactless Dining Kits to Restaurants
|
 |
Redwood City, Calif. — Presto, known for its in-house ordering tablets, has pivoted its business to help out the restaurant industry and is now offering a free Contactless Dining kit. The new kit enables restaurants to provide an end-to-end contactless in-house dining experience to guests. Guests can view the complete menu, place orders and pay at the table — without the need for any human contact. Read more.
|
US Foods to Provide Free Reopening Kits to Independent Restaurants Across the Country
|
 |
Rosemont, Ill. — US Foods Holding Corp. is giving away free reopening kits to qualifying independent restaurant owners to help support restaurant reopening efforts in communities across the U.S. The reopening kits provide independent restaurant operators with must-have supplies such as masks and safety guidance posters as well as resource guides to navigate state and local COVID-19 reopening requirements and help create a safer environment for staff and customers alike. Read more.
|
|
|
From the Magazine |
Digital First
By Mike Welsh
|
Retail curbside pickup and mobile apps are here to stay — what that reliance on a digital platform means for the industry moving forward in a post-COVID world.
In an effort to understand how retail curbside pickup, mobile apps and other digital-first retail strategies will change shopping habits even post-COVID, Retail & Restaurant Facility Business interviewed Mike Welsh of the Waltham, Massachusetts-based digital consulting firm Mobiquity.
R&R: In this new era of the COVID-19 pandemic, retailers must offer a digital-first option in order to keep up and stay open. How can stores create a digital strategy — quickly — and ramp up their mobile apps to continue serving customers?
Mike Welsh: Retailers should keep in mind three key factors when creating a contactless strategy: SustainableAsk if your teams, operational methods and inventory can sustain retooling and rethinking the way you conduct business. Can you maintain your brand experience and your offerings while continuing to support your business goals (beyond just surviving)?
Evergreen
Consider the long term opportunities now. What will it take to make your business evergreen in the “new normal?” How can you create a better long term business strategy as touchless, socially distant interactions, pickup, delivery and other forms of fulfillment become the standard? If you alter your thinking about these methods being temporary or seasonal, and instead think about how they may become a permanent addition to the business, you’re more likely to reap the rewards now and post-COVID.
Always On
Now that customers have moved to digital channels, your store hours are less important. Digital solutions are automating some of the operational tasks for your employees to keep them safer, such as order management, queuing and traffic, digital payment, pickup times and more. For your customers, keeping the lines of communication open with conversational tools, chat functionality and SMS messaging for an “always-on” approach can also help teams throttle up and down during regular business hours.
Read the full article.
|
|
|
More Industry News |
|
|
|
From the Magazine |
Great Adaptations
By Jill Woodside
|
Facilities management during crises: Best practices to succeed.
Numerous risks surround facilities management and those problems swell during major facilities management crises. The COVID-19 crisis is the most obvious, but its impact on facilities management is a true Black Swan event. According to James M. Berklan of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, the costs of PPE have increased over 1,000% amid the crisis, and while it’s easy to only associate that cost with direct care workers, what about the PPE that facilities management custodial professionals need? The COVID-19 crisis is the motherload of all possible disruptions. Its effects will last for months. Guests will expect a cleaner, sanitary and distanced interaction. It’s the new normal, and managers need to prepare for that reality. Facility leaders take the time to follow these best practices can help mitigate losses and achieve successful outcomes throughout the “Great Adaptation.”
Stay Apprised of Guidance From Governing Bodies
The first step to overcoming obstacles in facilities management during crises lies in following the advice and guidelines issued by governing authorities. Such authorities may include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Administration and others. Keeping informed is essential to avoiding unnecessary risks and adhering to public policies. Consider implementing additional signage to keep customers informed of your measures as well.
Set Clear Expectations for Performance Through the Crisis
Staff members should have a clear framework of expectations for performance and duties throughout the crisis. This may include the elimination of unnecessary items from the workflow. However, avoid elimination of items entirely, opting for a rescheduling that does not cause undue harm. Additional examples of clear expectations might include focusing on the health of your customers, emphasizing the use of PPE and setting a schedule that does not interfere with social distancing guidelines.
Assess the State of Field Service Vendors That Work With Your Company
Next, facility managers should review the available field service vendors that work with your company to determine what resources are available for addressing needs. This may include cleaning crews to handle floods through additional maintenance personnel to address physical damage. It all depends on the cause of the crisis and the immediate needs listed within the disaster preparedness plan. Take the current COVID-19 situation. When authorities lift the restrictions regarding business closures, does your vendor possess the capabilities to set a store up for success, such as enabling social distancing with appropriate signage and more? Even though social distancing might be a temporary measure, the effects on customers’ need to maintain social distancing are likely to last well beyond the reopening of businesses. Read the full article.
|
|
|
Upcoming Events |
2020 BOMA International Annual Conference & Expo
[VIRTUAL EVENT] June 27-30, 2020 • Philadelphia
The NAFEM Show 2021 February 4-6, 2021 • New Orleans
Connex2021 Multi-Site Facilities Conference
April 19-21, 2021 • National Harbor, MD |
| Forward Newsletter to a Friend |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
