INDUSTRY NEWS
NEWS, NOTES & TRENDS...
AroundtheIndustry RETAIL
MAC Beauty retailer MAC has opened the MAC Innovation Lab, its newest concept store, at the Queens Center mall in New York City after testing a virtual version of the concept in Shanghai in 2019. The store features augmented reality mirrors for shoppers to try products without touching their faces, infrared touch screens for finding just the right foundation match and special packaging that buyers can customize. REI REI has kept a promise made in 2006 to become carbon neutral by this year via receiving green building certifications, generating solar energy and funding $100 million in outdoor spaces. Now the outdoor gear retailer is focused on a new goal of cutting its carbon footprint in half by 2030 to fight climate change. Walmart Health Walmart disclosed plans to open “Walmart Health” centers in the Tampa and Orlando, Florida markets, and additional locations in Georgia that feature an array of primary medical services, dental care and behavioral health services. The new model is being replicated across the country. Hy-Vee/DSW Two Hy-Vee locations in Minneapolis now are home to 1,200-square-foot shoe stores operated by DSW, with the mini-stores aimed at reaching potential footwear customers where they shop for food. There could be as many as six similar arrangements at Hy-Vee sites coming, with plans for a wider rollout of the concept in 2021. IKEA IKEA will open 50 new stores around the world this year, as it continues to bet on brick-and-mortar retail, despite the rise of e-commerce. Tiffany & Co. Luxury jeweler Tiffany & Co. will open a new 5,400-square-foot store at the Westfield Valley Fair mall in San Jose, California. The two-story store replaces a smaller Tiffany’s location there. Suitsupply Suitsupply has added two floors and a rooftop space to its store in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood, creating space for private affairs and individual shopping appointments. The retailer is betting that customers have a pent-up demand for shopping as they did in pre-pandemic times.
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COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — OCTOBER 2020
HOSPITALITY
Waldorf Astoria Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club will bring Hilton’s luxury brand to Dana Point, California. The 400-room property, which features an 18-hole golf course, partners Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts with Ohana Real Estate Investors. Hilton Worldwide Hilton Worldwide has 781 hotels comprising 160,556 rooms in its pipeline, with 200 openings slated for this year. North America and the Asian-Pacific region command top priority, led by the US and China. InterContinental Hotels Group/Voco InterContinental Hotels Group will unveil its new lifestyle Voco brand in Florida, Missouri and New York. Plans call for opening 28 hotels in 19 countries over the coming five years. Capella Hotels and Resorts Capella Hotels and Resorts opened its first property— Capella Bangkok—in Thailand. The 101-room property, which overlooks the Chao Phraya River, includes a spa, open-air dining and a restaurant from Italian-Argentine chef Mauro Colagreco. Kalahari Resorts Kalahari Resorts and Conventions plans a new location in Round Rock, Texas. The 350-acre resort complex will include a 223,000-square-foot water park, 30 water slides, 20 whirlpools and pools, and other attractions such as a FlowRider, waterfalls, cabanas and an adult grotto swim-up bar. Atari Hotels Video-game giant Atari plans to open a line of hotels, beginning in Las Vegas and Phoenix, with an emphasis on virtual reality and cutting-edge design. The 400-room Atari Hotel near the Las Vegas Strip is scheduled to open in 2022.
RESTAURANTS
Burger King Burger King is focusing on mobile and touchless services with two new restaurant designs to be introduced next year. A drive-in feature will allow customers to park under solar-powered canopies and place their orders to eat in their cars, while a curbside feature will allow for quick pickup of previously placed orders.
