Rue 21

Rue21 is on the road to expansion again. It has 15 stores scheduled to open by year’s end. The specialty apparel retailer, which serves 15- to 25-year-olds, became a pandemic-era anomaly after posting double-digit sales growth last year. It opened three stores last year, and each outperformed expectations by more than 50%, according to the company.

The retailer attributes the success to a data-driven site selection process focused on its customer profile. “The success of the new stores in 2020 fueled investment in the 15 new stores this year,” said CFO Michele Pascoe, who also oversees real estate strategy. The retailer’s loyalty program, which already has 5.5 million active members, will focus on converting new in-store customers into omnichannel customers.

Rue21 already operates 652 stores, mostly in traditional enclosed malls. Many of the new stores also will be in malls, including Oklahoma City’s Penn Square Mall; Massachusetts’ Holyoke Mall; Columbia, Georgia’s Peachtree Mall; and Buffalo, New York’s Walden Galleria.

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“Recent new store openings have demonstrated the importance of our store channel to brand discovery and customer acquisition,” said CEO Bill Brand. “Our dynamic in-store experiences have driven customer loyalty and is our model for continued omnichannel growth.”

Miniso

Budget-conscious consumers are helping fuel the expansion of China-based retailer Miniso in the U.S. The company, which sells household goods, cosmetics, food and toys at affordable prices, said its U.S. sales revenue climbed 72.9% year over year during the first half of 2021. And transaction value per U.S. customer rose from $14.30 for the first two months of this year to $15.57 for May and June, reflecting the restoration of confidence among U.S. consumers.

“Our improved performance in the United States reveals the underlying resilience of local economic fundamentals,” said vice president of international business Vincent Huang. “As the economy reopens, consumers sitting on a pile of savings will spend on experiences as well as goods that a brand like Miniso offers. We stand ready to ride the wave of a revitalized U.S. economy by bringing Miniso to the homes of the American people.”

To take advantage of the rapid market recovery, Miniso recently relocated its North American headquarters from Los Angeles to New York City to strengthen its presence along the East Coast. The New York City office will oversee U.S. and Canada operations. The company has opened 35 stores on the West Coast since launching its U.S. operations in Pasadena, California, in 2017. Miniso’s headquarters also eventually will facilitate the brand’s expansion to the central U.S.

Since its first store opened in Guangzhou, China, in 2013, Miniso has opened more than 4,587 stores in over 95 countries and regions.

Puttshack

Upscale, tech-infused mini-golf experience Puttshack will open a 26,000-square-foot unit downtown at The Shops at Houston Center in late 2022. The British concept, which operates three locations in London, opened its first U.S. location at Atlanta’s Interlock in April. Puttshack plans to open in Oak Brook, Illinois, in fall 2021 and Miami and Boston soon after, as well as a Nashville location in 2023. The team is preparing to announce more U.S. locations that will open in 2022.

Polestar

Swedish electronic vehicle brand Polestar wants to double its global retail stores to 100 locations. Within the U.S., Polestar operates 11 service centers and stores and plans to add locations this year in Orange County, California; central New Jersey; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Grapevine, Texas.

Duchess Cookies

Gourmet cookie chain Duchess Cookies has built an audience of more than 50,000 Instagram followers and opened seven stores in New York since its founding in 2017. Now, the company is opening its first Pennsylvania unit, in a former Metro PCS store in downtown Easton. Duchess, which offers more than 120 rotating flavors of “filled” cookies, has 35 more locations — including in California, Florida, North Carolina and Texas — scheduled to open during the next two years.

HTeaO

Sweet-tea restaurant HTeaO will open a unit in Arlington, Texas. The franchise concept offers 24 flavors of teas made from the fresh ingredients and available both sweet and unsweetened options. Customers can mix and match and put fresh fruit in their drinks. The concept operates 30 freestanding locations across Texas and plans to open units in Kansas and Oklahoma soon.

Simply Mac

Simply Inc. brings Mac products to smaller markets that can’t sustain flagship Apple stores. The company, which has a partnership deal with Apple, recently opened a 2,296-square-foot store on Main Street in Wilmington, North Carolina, pictured at top. It stocks the entire suite of Apple products, as well as third-party accessories and technical service for Mac products. The nearest Apple store is a two-hour drive away. The unit is the second Simply Mac store in North Carolina, and the company plans to open three more in the state in the “near future.” Simply Inc. operates 48 stores nationwide.

Another Tomorrow

Digitally native, sustainable luxury apparel brand Another Tomorrow opened its first store, a 1,350-square-foot unit in New York City’s West Village. The brand launched in January 2020 and aims to reduce the apparel industry’s negative impact on the environment and on garment workers. Each product features a unique a QR code that lets shoppers access its impact on the environment.

Buff City Soap

Buff City Soap, which makes customizable, plant-based soap and body products in-store daily, kicked off a Florida rollout with a store at Sarasota’s Mall at University Town Center. A second unit is expected to open in Tampa this fall and a third in Seminole in 2022, followed by more. Each Buff City Soap store offers more than 30 unique and customizable scents across dozens of products. The company operates 114 stores and has 23 planned to open soon.

Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant

Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant will open a second Phoenix unit, at Chandler Fashion Center, in September. Its first metro Phoenix restaurant opened in Scottsdale in December. Cooper’s Hawk has 46 locations.

Crumbl Cookies

Crumbl Cookies, which operates 160 stores, has 100 more slated to open in the coming year. Its most recent unit opened this month in Evansville, Indiana. The retailer also has signed a lease for a 1,700-square-foot store at Seaview Square in Ocean Township, New Jersey.