U.S. store closures are dropped 65% so far this year from the same period in 2021, according to Coresight Research. Store opening announcements, at 1,910 year to date, are up 3%. Openings have largely outpaced closings. In comparison to 2020, when 9,689 store closures were announced, 2021 was a stable year, the firm reports, and 2022 is shaping up to follow a downward trend of closures.

In-Store Ambience Matters More Than in the Past

Shoppers turned to e-commerce for functional activities during the pandemic, and now they look to physical stores as sensory-stimulating hubs where they can pursue more informed purchasing, according to a Colliers report called The Sixth Sense Is the Retail Experience. The shift is leading more retailers to upgrade in-store ambience with technologies and services. Verizon, for example, is testing voice-activated in-store signage, and Walmart has an augmented reality game in its supermarket aisles to entertain children. Other chains are rethinking their store layouts to make them more experiential than convenience focused, with meandering paths that create a sense of exploration for shoppers as they browse.

11 More Tenant Updates

Bark Social: The social club for dog owners is expanding along the East Coast after closing a financing round of $2 million. The round brings its total funding to $5.3 million since last year. The experiential off-leash dog park, beer garden and coffee house has targeted Northern Virginia; Richmond Virginia; Charlottesville, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; and Northern New Jersey for new locations. Bark Social is also in negotiations for locations in Southern California and Southeast Florida. The existing location — in Bethesda, Maryland — occupies about 20,000 square feet. A previously announced Baltimore location is slated to open in spring.

RELATED: Combo Dog Park-Bar-Coffee House Aims to Activate Shopping Centers’ Outdoor Spaces

Chef’store: Foodservice distributor U.S. Foods plans to open two Chef’store warehouse stores this spring: a 30,000-square-foot unit in Visalia, California, and a 24,000-square-foot one in Lynchburg, Virginia. The concept is a one-stop-shop for restaurant operators, food industry professionals, community groups and at-home chefs to buy restaurant-quality products at wholesale prices. The new stores will bring locations across the country up to  82.

The House of LR&C: Superstar husband and wife Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and pop star Ciara opened the first physical store for their lifestyle brand, in Seattle’s University Village. The company — whose “LR&C” stands for love, respect and care — plans three more stores this year. The brand focuses on sustainability and stocks apparel designed by Wilson and Ciara, as well as third-party goods.

Limited Run: In April, the retailer, which sells physical versions of popular digital games, will open its first physical store, in Cary, North Carolina’s MacGregor Village. The 1980s-themed store will stock products both from Limited Run and from other companies. It also will include an area for trading cards and will sell secondhand games. More stores, including a West Coast unit, are in the cards, according to the company.

Microsoft: The software company’s flagship store along London’s Oxford Circus features a lavish break room to enable staff to relax and recharge. Designers say expanded break rooms will become increasingly popular as retailers compete for employees.

Petco: The pet supply chain signed a lease to open a 30,000-square-foot store in the historic Tammany Hall building along New York City’s Union Square. Petco will relocate from its existing store around the square to occupy three floors in the seven-story, 73,000-square-foot building, which has been renovated and recapped with a glass dome.

Pink Bird Car Wash: The retro-themed, express-car wash, rendered at top, has two locations under construction in West Palm Beach, Florida, and plans to build at least 20 units on the state’s east coast. The company wants sites with minimum dimensions of 150 feet by 200 feet in high-traffic locations with left-in access and strong retail co-tenancy.

Sally Beauty: The retailer’s strategy to close underperforming stores appears to be paying off. Same-store sales climbed 6.1% in fiscal year 2021. The company closed a net 136 stores throughout the year, bringing its total to 4,893, and expects to close another 1% of its stores in 2022.

Starbucks: North America and U.S. comparable store sales increased 18% in fiscal year 2021, driven primarily by a 12% increase in the number of comparable transactions and a 6% increase in the average amount of each transaction. The retailer attributed the 2021 jolt in part to the successful closures of underperforming stores in 2020.

The Vitamin Shoppe: The retailer opened its first franchised unit, in Greensboro, North Carolina. It converted a company-owned store into a franchise for a group of local entrepreneurs who plan to open three more Vitamin Shoppes in Greater Greensboro by 2024.The retailer has 700 company-owned stores.

Uniqlo: The fast-fashion chain added a repair shop to its store in New York City’s SoHo. For a $5 fee, the retailer will repair any Uniqlo merchandise brought into the store. It’s part of a strategy to compete with resellers and create an air of sustainability.