Jo Rossman
Florida, Hollywood
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Articles by Jo Rossman
OMNOVA Launches 2021 INSIGHTS Lookbook - Shop! Insights Center
News Release: Beachwood, Ohio, 3/23/2021 OMNOVA has launched its INSIGHTS 2021 Lookbook, featuring the latest in laminate finishes and design trends. “INSIGHTS is our annual celebration of emerging design trends coupled with an intimate view of next generation decorative surfaces,” said Jane Suchla, Creative Manager, Laminates and Films at OMNOVA.
retailX dates change - Shop! Insights Center
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and associated government restrictions and limitations on large gatherings and travel restrictions, both domestically and internationally, retailX has postponed its annual face-to-face event until August 2021. Originally slated to take place May 12-13, 2021, the new event dates are Tuesday, August 24 to Wednesday, August 25, 2021, at McCormick Place in Chicago.
U.S. shopper satisfaction with supermarkets nudges up - Shop! Insights Center
IMAGE: ISTOCK/PICTURE Americans are more satisfied with their recent supermarket experiences than they were in April, according to the Fall 2020 U.S. Online & In-Store Grocery Shopping Study by research firm Retail Feedback Group (RFG). This report, the second installment in 2020, provides key insights from both online and in-store supermarket shoppers, collected during the pandemic.
Pollo Campero doubling down on digital kitchens - Shop! Insights Center
Pollo Campero opened its first two digital kitchens in San Francisco and Chicago in 2020 and expects to open at least 10 additional locations in 2021. The a chicken restaurant chain from Central America will begin its new additions with a ghost kitchen in Anaheim, Calif., U.S., in January. The openings will complement the company’s aggressive traditional restaurant expansion plan. The new 200-sq.-ft.
Refill station, honey bay featured at new London health store - Shop! Insights Center
Holland & Barrett, one of Europe’s largest health and wellness retailers, has opened a new store in Angel Islington, London, with a new store format. Relocated from its previous location of 31 Upper Street to 21-22 Upper Street, the store now consists of two units with an expanded footprint of 1,389 sq. ft. With the growing popularity of products such as Manuka Honey, a dedicated honey bay offers everything from MGO Manuka to unique craft honeys from across the globe.
Proposed standard to address mockup structures - Shop! Insights Center
A new ASTM International standard will help architects who are designing mockup structures used to prepare for the construction of a new building. ASTM’s committee on performance of buildings (E06) developed the standard, which will soon be approved as E3223.
Norvell retires from idX - Shop! Insights Center
idX Corp. announces the retirement of Scott Norvell, EVP of global operations, effective Jan. 1, 2021. Norvell, a 40-year veteran of the retail store merchandising industry, is a founding member of idX. He has specialized in large complicated rollouts and designed some of the industry’s fundamental processes for program management, production control, and operations management. Norvell has overseen some of idX’s largest project initiatives and can be credited with much of the organization’s success.
A Shoe-in for Success - Shop! Insights Center
Unique Store Fixtures’ contribution helps Chrisitan Louboutin’s new boutique showcase products in style Unique Store Fixtures, a North American manufacturer of custom retail environments, has executed Christian Louboutin’s design for a boutique within Holt Renfrew at Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The intricate design melds various finishes and textures.
GSP creates branding elements for Kwik Trip - Shop! Insights Center
GSP, a provider of retail services and solutions, has partnered with Kwik Trip to create new exterior branding elements for the convenience retailer’s recently acquired Stop-N-Go stores. “GSP understands what strong brands are made of and how to design modern and timeless graphics and branding elements,” says Steven Cohen, GSP’s VP of design services. GSP created a logo and graphics package that could be applied to the store’s canopies and exteriors, he explains.
Uzbek grocery chain opens 10 stores, with more to come - Shop! Insights Center
The largest supermarket chain in Uzbekistan, Makro, just got bigger. The company opened 10 new stores Dec. 11 to celebrate the company’s 10-year anniversary. The retailer now includes 86 locations, with additional store openings to come before the year’s end. The ribbon-cutting at the new stores, scattered across the Uzbek capital of Tashkent, marks an important milestone for a company that exemplifies the rapid growth of Uzbekistan’s retail market in recent years.
Backcountry equipment sales growing - Shop! Insights Center
PHOTO: ISTOCK/MARCIN WIKLIK As consumers seek ways to be active, spend time outside, and practice social distancing during the winter months, backcountry-related equipment sales in the U.S. grew a combined 76% in the opening months of this year’s snow season (August through October 2020) compared to the same period last year, according to The NPD Group.
Store designs help create buzz for cannabis retailers - Shop! Insights Center
The $9.3 billion U.S. cannabis industry includes stores like Common Citizen in Flint, Mich., U.S., designed by GH+A design studios. PHOTO: NICK DAVIS By Beth Mattson-Teig As many retailers struggle to find a path forward in the wake of the coronavirus, the cannabis industry is continuing to enjoy explosive growth.
German youth struggling while seniors shop online - Shop! Insights Center
Brands in Germany may want to shift some of their focus — particularly in touting e-commerce — from the youth to the elderly, given recent findings from Mintel. Gen Z Germans are expected to have a particularly tough holiday season. Nearly half of them say money is going to be tighter than usual this Christmas, compared to just over a third of German consumers as a whole, according to Mintel’s latest German Lifestyles research.
Thais seek prevention, convenience in vitamin category - Shop! Insights Center
Outdoor pollution, COVID-19, and urbanization are driving Thai consumers to seek preventive solutions to maintain good health and performance. According to the latest research from Mintel, the primary health benefits associated with the use of vitamins, minerals, and supplements (VMS) are to add to missing dietary nutrients (49%), protect against illnesses later in life (36%), and help improve physical appearances (27%).
Restaurant sales down, but satisfaction up - Shop! Insights Center
Restaurant industry sales stumbled again in November as the number of COVID cases rose rapidly and colder weather hindered outdoor dining in many areas of the U.S. Same-store sales growth was -10.3%, which represented a 3.8 percentage point drop from October’s year-over-year sales growth rate, according to a new report by Black Box Intelligence. November’s -16.3% same-store traffic fell by 3.3 percentage points compared to the previous month’s performance.
Most Americans to display Christmas trees this season - Shop! Insights Center
With sales of Christmas trees surging, 75% percent of U.S. households, or nearly 94 million, will display one in their home for the 2020 holiday season. While a handful of those trees will be real, the vast majority — 85% — will be artificial, according to the 10th annual Christmas tree survey from the American Christmas Tree Association (ACTA) conducted by Nielsen.
Consumers using tech to order and prepare food - Shop! Insights Center
In this upended year, America’s kitchens have become command central for working, schooling, Zooming, entertaining, and preparing significantly more meals and snacks than the pre-pandemic norm, finds The NPD Group. To combat these added stressors, consumers are acquiring and using new technologies to access foods and beverages or make them easier to prepare in the home, according to NPD’s recently released What’s Inside America’s Kitchens.
PAVE competition winners announced - Shop! Insights Center
Missouri State University student Jolean Hackney took first place in the 2020 PAVE Student Design Competition in collaboration with SketchUp. This annual competition by the Planning and Visual Education Partnership (PAVE) is geared toward college-level students involved in retail planning, visual merchandising, and branding programs. The competition’s design challenge provides an excellent opportunity for students to obtain real-life retail design experience.
Cascades donates 150,000+ boxes for food assistance - Shop! Insights Center
Cascades, a provider of eco-friendly recovery, hygiene, and packaging solutions, supports efforts to fight effects of the pandemic. In addition to providing essential products on a daily basis that help meet the needs of Cascades’ customers and consumers, the company has donated more than 150,000 boxes over the course of 2020 to nonprofit organizations that are working to respond to the needs of people who are most vulnerable during the COVID-19 emergency.
Focus: Technology - Shop! Insights Center
While it was already playing an increasingly important role in the in-store experience, technology will gain even more importance in a post-COVID retail world. Consumer demand for contactless transactions will continue, as will the need for tech-enhanced brand experiences in-store. Meanwhile, retailers, brands, and vendors operating with reduced staffs due to 2020’s economic challenges will need to be as efficient as possible.
Loan distress rates for NYC retail climb - Shop! Insights Center
Situated in one of the hardest hit spots in the world from COVID-19 deaths, NYC retail is having a tough time. Distress rates for commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) loans secured by Manhattan retail have climbed notably since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March, finds a new report.
Island Fin Poké plans 20 new restaurants in West Florida - Shop! Insights Center
Orlando fast-casual chain Island Fin Poké plans to open up to 20 new build-your-own poke bowl restaurants in West Florida over the next few years. The franchise, which currently has one location open in Wesley Chapel, will have new locations opening in the area in the new year. A Sarasota location is set to open in January, and additional units in Carrollwood, Trinity, and St. Petersburg are expected to open in the first half of 2021.
NRA seeks congressional relief for beleaguered restaurants - Shop! Insights Center
IMAGE: ISTOCK/SOUTH_AGENCY The National Restaurant Association (NRA) has appealed to Congress for help addressing the “economic free fall” of restaurants in the U.S. The NRA sent a letter to Congressional leadership, sharing new survey findings that illustrate continued business deterioration across the restaurant industry. The letter supports the moderate compromise proposal as a “down payment” toward a larger relief package in early 2021.
Crazy Good Strategy - Shop! Insights Center
El Pollo Loco unveils two future concepts with digital focus, contactless experience See the concept here El Pollo Loco, a U.S. fire-grilled chicken chain, has unveiled its new restaurant of the future concept. Initially planned to meet changing consumer demand and then accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the re-imagined restaurants involve a digital-forward, contactless off-premise experience.
Online retail panel to discuss wellbeing Wednesday - Shop! Insights Center
The 2020 IIDA NYC Retail Forum, a panel discussion with key retail brands to investigate wellbeing in terms of emotional, physical, and social health, will take place online Wednesday, Dec. 9, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. There is no cost to attend. “As the year has progressed, we have seen consumer focus shift to the importance of personal wellness,” says Retail Forum Co-Chair Laura Lewi, senior designer at CallisonRTKL.
Not Just Flowery Language - Shop! Insights Center
LBC Petal certification for PCC Ballard represents rigorous green building The PCC Community Market in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle has become the world’s first Living Building Challenge (LBC) Petal-Certified grocery store. The store met stringent requirements for the Materials, Place and Beauty Petals in pursuit of the International Living Future Institute’s LBC Petal Certification, commonly recognized as the world’s most rigorous green building standard.
5 trends to influence CPG industry in 2021 - Shop! Insights Center
Five trends are set to influence the CPG industry in 2021, notes CPG sales and marketing agency Acosta. “Many of the changes we saw implemented in 2020 due to the pandemic will carry over into 2021. Health and safety will continue to be paramount for retailers and consumers, and e-commerce growth will continue on its accelerated path,” says Colin Stewart, EVP of business intelligence at Acosta.
Report: Retrofitting can mitigate carbon emissions - Shop! Insights Center
The construction industry can mitigate carbon emissions through the smart retrofitting of built assets, notes a new research report by construction technology provider Asite. The report, Smart Retrofitting: The Key to Decarbonizing the Built Environment, responds to the construction industry’s role in the Paris Agreement and focuses on the decarbonization of existing buildings, both residential and commercial.
Americans warming up to plant-based products - Shop! Insights Center
PHOTO: ISTOCK/NEVODKA Awareness of plant-based products among Americans is high, with over 80% aware of such foods, new research from innovation insight agency buzzback shows. Most U.S. consumers (70%) have already tried meat and milk substitutes, and 56% are also aware of plant-based cheese. 73% are seeking healthy alternatives and believe plant-based food is better for the environment.
Cannabis brand opens stores in Maine - Shop! Insights Center
Maine’s newest adult use cannabis store will open Dec. 9 in Waterville. PHOTOS: COURTESY OF SWEET DIRT Sweet Dirt, a Maine-based, vertically integrated cannabis company, opens its store in Waterville, Maine, U.S. this week. The adult-use store is among the first in the state to open for recreational cannabis purchases and is one of four such stores the company will open in Central and Southern Maine. The renovated 3,100-sq.-ft.
MOOYAH adding 12 redesigned U.S. restaurants - Shop! Insights Center
MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, a fast-casual franchise, plans to put its brand on 12 new restaurants in key markets across the U.S. One recently opened in Madison, Wis., 10 will be in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and one will be in New York City. As the franchise brand looks to the East Coast, MOOYAH will make its debut in Manhattan near Times Square this month at 485 7th Ave. The restaurant will have the brand’s freshest look.
Off to a Flying Start - Shop! Insights Center
New AmEx lounge in JFK set to appeal with familiar, yet localized design AMERICAN EXPRESS CENTURION LOUNGE | JFK International Airport, NYC Contributing Shop! member: Big Red Rooster, a JLL company design The latest airport lounge for American Express boasts the familiarity of the company’s Centurion Lounge experiences, blended with local flavor. Design collaboration by Big Red Rooster, a JLL company, was inspired by New York City architecture and history.
Smart packaging shows food freshness in Russian project - Shop! Insights Center
Russian food retailer X5’s Perekrestok supermarket format is implementing a new freshness control system based on Visual Freshness Sensors. The Green Dot project will be used for 300 products in the chain’s X5 Smart Kitchen offering of ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook foods, delivered to 460 supermarkets across Central Russia.
C-store safety crucial to increasing consumer visits - Shop! Insights Center
C-stores have reason to be optimistic for improved sales, according to the latest study by Intouch Insight, a provider of customer experience management software and services. The company followed up its spring 2020 study into changes in consumer habits due to COVID-19 with a six-month review into the implications for convenience stores and gas stations. Fewer consumers are decreasing their visits now — 50% rather than the 73% seen in May.
Gaming engagement shoots up in U.S. - Shop! Insights Center
Video game engagement in the U.S. is up significantly in terms of participation, time, and spend, according to The NPD Group report 2020 Evolution of Entertainment. Four of every five Americans has played a video game in the past six months. The number of consumers playing video games in the U.S. has increased 6 points to 79%, with total time spent gaming increasing 26% and total spend increasing 33%.
7-Eleven continues its store evolution - Shop! Insights Center
7-Eleven has opened an Evolution Store in the Dallas neighborhood of Lake Highlands. This is the second store in Dallas and the fifth in the U.S. with the Evolution design.
Walmart opens health centers - Shop! Insights Center
Two new Walmart Health centers opened adjacent to two newly remodeled supercenters in the Chicago area. Walmart Health is partnering with local health providers to deliver primary care, labs, X-ray and diagnostics, counseling, dental and hearing services all in one facility at transparent pricing regardless of a patient’s insurance status. Some services were available immediately upon opening; other services will be added in the future.
Shop! Insights Center A Real Flagship - Shop! Insights Center
The RealReal opens brick-and-mortar store in Chicago PHOTOS: DANIEL KELLEGHAN The RealReal, an online marketplace for authenticated, consigned luxury goods, has opened a flagship store on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. Building on the success of the company’s local Luxury Consignment Office, the new 12,000-sq.-ft. store features shopping on both the main and mezzanine levels, as well as a Luxury Consignment Office and the company’s fourth CaféCafé. The company has 10 other physical stores.
EuroCIS 2021 cancelled - Shop! Insights Center
Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and unforeseeable situation in spring 2021, EuroCIS, a trade fair for retail technology, will not take place as scheduled March 16 – 18, 2021. The next staging will be according to its usual cycle, Feb. 15 – 17, 2022, at the fairgrounds in Düsseldorf, Germany. “The decision by the federal and state governments on Nov.
Jollibee to add 28 North American stores in 2021 - Shop! Insights Center
Filipino fast-food chain Jollibee plans to add 28 stores to its North American network, 19 in the U.S. and nine in Canada. The 2021 expansion will mark Jollibee’s largest-ever addition to its North American store network in company history. This year was previously the brand’s most aggressive year yet. Already this year, Jollibee opened 12 stores across North America amid the pandemic.
Christmas tree sales surging - Shop! Insights Center
Americans, it seems, have decided they need to be festive despite all the challenges 2020 has brought. Sales of Christmas trees, both real and artificial, are surging this season, the American Christmas Tree Association (ACTA) reports. “Many of our members have seen sales increases of 200% over the same time last year,” says Jami Warner, executive director of the ACTA.
GPM unveils C-store remodel plans - Shop! Insights Center
Preview the new design at vimeo.com/480813782. GPM plans to remodel some 360 of its C-store sites in key locations across the U.S. over the next three to five years. This remodel program across fas mart, E-Z Mart, Scotchman, and the rest of the portfolio of brands will focus on enhancing the overall customer experience and value offering. The remodeled stores will feature an expanded offering with grab ‘n’ go prepared food, beer caves, frozen food, an enhanced drink lineup, and more.
Pearls of Wisdom - Shop! Insights Center
Jeweler touts customer comfort in times of crisis Technological inventiveness, empathy and investing in ways for customers to deal with the COVID crisis are helping enable D’Errico Jewelry to not only survive but prosper in an environment that is dooming thousands of other businesses, and to effectively compete.
U.K. holiday spending set to dip just 0.4% below 2019 - Shop! Insights Center
Retail should fare well in the U.K. this holiday season. British holiday spending is predicted to decline by just 0.4% compared to 2019, according to the latest research from Mintel. And 77% of grocery shoppers say it is important to have a good Christmas after the events of 2020. The reopening of stores in the first week of December may cause a rush of pre-Christmas demand, and retailers will need to prepare for how to serve this safely.
Gruskin Group wins 29 ad design awards - Shop! Insights Center
Gruskin Group representatives (left to right): Bob Lyons, Director of Marketing Services & Executive Director; Kenneth Gruskin, Principal; and Jeff Barcan, Director of Creative Services. Gruskin Group, an architecture and design firm based in Springfield, N.J., U.S., has earned 29 design awards – the most of any entrant – from the New Jersey Advertising Club. Awards include 16 first place, seven second place, and Best of Newspaper.
Target to feature Ulta Beauty shop-in-shops - Shop! Insights Center
Target Corp. and Ulta Beauty will be developing a shop-in-shop for select Target locations and online. Ulta Beauty at Target will debut at more than 100 Target locations starting in the second half of 2021, with plans to scale to hundreds more over time. The planned locations will complement Ulta Beauty’s current store footprint, welcoming new guests to the brand and building upon Target’s existing assortment of beauty options. 1,000-sq.-ft.
Grant joins H.J. Martin and Son - Shop! Insights Center
Abigail Grant has joined H.J. Martin and Son as the company continues to grow. Grant will work with the national division as its newest project coordinator. She works with the team to create fact sheets, hire subcontractors, and log invoices. She also works collaboratively with other departments within the company to successfully complete her daily tasks. Before working at H.J. Martin and Son, Grant previously worked as an Office Administrator at Southern Touch Painting and Maintenance.
UL joins World Economic Forum - Shop! Insights Center
UL, a global safety science company, has joined the World Economic Forum (WEF) as a Platform Partner and will work to develop systemic solutions to key global challenges and serve as a driving force behind WEF’s programs. UL’s participation within WEF includes membership of the organization’s Advanced Manufacturing and Production Platform, a group dedicated to accelerating inclusive technology while stimulating innovation, sustainability, and innovation in advanced manufacturing and production.
Book sales expected to grow this holiday season - Shop! Insights Center
The holidays can be make-or-break months for the U.S. publishing industry, since that’s when one-quarter of annual print book sales occur. Nearly 173 million books were sold in November and December 2019, according to The NPD Group.
Retail food and drink gains as foodservice falls in U.K. - Shop! Insights Center
The biggest decreases are in the transport, foodservice, and holiday industries, while the biggest gains this year will be in food, alcoholic, and nonalcoholic drinks purchased in retail stores. IMAGE: ISTOCK/RAWF8 Total U.K. consumer spending is expected to fall by £183.6 billion (14.9%) this year due to the COVID-19-induced lockdowns, according to new research from Mintel’s British Lifestyles report.
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