News Briefs

Three new tenants are slated to occupy the former Sears space at a popular Michigan mall.

Dick’s House of Sport, Round1 Bowling and Arcade, and Primark will fill the space at Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi, which has been vacant since 2019, according to a report from the Detroit Free Press. Dick's House of Sport, which offers guests playing surfaces and areas for testing out equipment, plans to occupy the majority of the lower level of the old Sears, while the entertainment venue and the Ireland-based fashion retailer will split the upper level.

The Dick’s House of Sport will mark the first location for the concept in Michigan. Round1 and Primark each operate one other location in the state, both at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets in Auburn Hills.

Scott Lofton, general manager of Twelve Oaks Mall, told the Free Press that Primark and Round1 could open in the first half of 2026, with the Dick's House of Sport coming by the fourth quarter of 2026.

[READ MORE: Dick’s Sporting Goods delivers record Q1 sales, maintains outlook]

Owned and operated by Taubman Centers, Twelve Oaks Mall first opened in 1977 and is anchored by Macy’s, Nordstrom, and JCPenney. The 1.5 million-sq.-ft. indoor center is home to approximately 180 retailers and restaurants.

SRS Real Estate Partners has brought a power player into its Atlanta office.

Local market veteran Brittany McCall has joined the Atlanta office of the large real estate advisory firm as a senior vice president and will focus on project leasing and expanding the company’s owner services platform.

Her two decades working in Atlanta has seen McCall handle leasing and landlord representation for many high-profile projects in town such as Inman Quarter, West Paces Shopping Center, Modern Midtown, and The Olmsted.

Before joining SRS, McCall served as a managing member at Vantage Realty Partners, where she played a key role in the company’s leasing initiatives with institutional landlords as well as private ownership groups that included Cousins Properties, South City Partners, Tishman Speyer, and Loudermilk Companies.

“Brittany’s market knowledge and ability to navigate complex leasing strategies are key strengths that align with our retail platform,” said SRS managing partner Henry Poer. “She brings a strong track record of delivering value to property owners while also understanding the needs of tenants in today’s evolving landscape.”

McCall is an avid supporter of the Alzheimer’s Association and participates in several professional organizations, including the International Council of Shopping Centers and the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors.

Warby Parker is launching a mobile tool based on its proprietary AI to help customers find frames that fit their face as well as style preferences.

The omnichannel eyewear brand is partnering with digital creative agency Kettle to roll out Advisor, a mobile AI  solution which delivers tailored recommendations based on facial dimensions like shape, width and nose bridge, as well as personal style.

Customers can use Advisor with a face scan in the Warby Parker iOS app. Kettle helped the retailer design the tool and conceptualized future versions in an effort to improve how customers discover and interact with Warby Parker’s products. Advisor is now out of pilot and available to all iOS users.

"We're excited to introduce Advisor, our new online tool that leverages proprietary AI to instantly recommend frames based on each shopper’s unique facial features and personal style,” said Dave Gilboa, co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker: "It’s a completely new way to shop for glasses—and makes the experience convenient, personalized and fun. The early feedback and engagement has been overwhelmingly positive, and we can't wait for more shoppers to experience Advisor for themselves."

Advisor is the latest tech-enabled offering from Warby Parker. Other solutions  include the brand’s augmented reality-based Virtual Try-On and custom frame fitting iOS app features. The retailer says it is trying to bridge the gap between online and in-store experiences. 

[READ MORE: Warby Parker improves frame fit with AR]

"Advisor marks an important step forward in digital retail and we're proud to help bring it to life with Warby Parker," said Lauren Kushner, CEO of Kettle. "This new AI-powered tool is just the beginning of a smarter, more personal way for customers to discover and shop."

Firehouse Subs is expanding its presence south of the border.

The fast-casual sandwich chain has announced a new development agreement with Mexican restaurant operator Foodplay to open 100 restaurants in Mexico over the next five years. Foodplay is set to open the first Firehouse Subs restaurant this year in Monterrey, Nuevo León, followed by additional openings in the metropolitan area. Other major cities across the country are being targeted for the expansion.

"We believe Firehouse Subs has tremendous potential in Mexico's growing sandwich market," said Duncan Montero, Latin American & the Caribbean president of Restaurant Brands International (RBI), parent company of Firehouse Subs. "We're excited to bring Firehouse premium subs, heartfelt service, and community-centered mission to new guests throughout the country."

Firehouse Subs has over 1,300 restaurants across the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Mexico, Albania and the United Arab Emirates, with plans to open its first restaurants in Brazil and Australia later this year. The new agreement with Foodplay will bolster its international portfolio.

"We are honored to grow the iconic subs brand in Mexico and are fully committed to its success,” said Braulio Lopez, chief operating officer at RBI. “This expansion is not only about bringing high-quality, bold, and delicious subs to the region, but also about creating hundreds of jobs and long-term career opportunities."

[READ MORE: Chipotle to make Mexico debut in 2026]

Founded in Jacksonville, Fla. in 1994 by two former firefighter brothers, Firehouse Subs is known for its premium sandwiches.

RBI operates over 32,000 restaurants in more than 120 countries and territories under its Tim Hortons, Burger King, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs brands.

McDonald’s is closing all locations of its small-format, beverage-focused restaurant concept.

The quick-serve giant unveiled CosMc’s, which has four locations in Texas and one in Illinois, in late 2023. It is named for a former mascot — a fun-loving alien from outer space who craved McDonald’s food — who appeared in the chain’s advertisements in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

“We’ve learned so much, so quickly from the CosMc’s test,” the company said in a press release. “As part of this next testing phase, starting in late June, we will be closing all stand-alone pilot CosMc’s locations on a rolling basis and discontinuing the CosMc’s app.”

McDonald’s said that, building on insights gained from the pilot locations, beverages inspired by CosMc’s will soon be tested at its U.S. locations as part of the chain’s upcoming U.S. beverage test. (In March, the company announced it had put together a new dedicated category team focused on beverages.)

McDonald’s launched CosMc’s as it looked to expand in the fast-growing beverage space, where it faces growing competition from the likes of the drive-thru Dutch Bros chain and others. The company said the concept allowed it to test “new, bold flavors and different technologies and processes —without impacting the existing McDonald’s experience for customers and crew.”

“By creating a Learning Lab — in a way that only McDonald’s can —the CosMc’s team was able to test-and-learn in real customer-facing environments, which allowed for greater agility and speed,” McDonald’s said. “Quick adds and edits to the menu based on feedback led to more focused choices for our fans as the test continued.”

The already crowded digital pizza delivery market is gaining a major new entrant.

Warehouse club retailer Sam’s Club, a division of Walmart, has been selling its private label Member’s Mark 16-inch hot baked pizza at in-store cafes for years. 

However, based on what the retailer says has been consistent customer feedback, it is now delivering hot Member’s Mark baked pizzas for online orders at most stores across the U.S. and will have the offering available from all stores by the end of May 2025.

The pizzas cost $8.98 and come in pepperoni, cheese and four-meat flavors. Online pizza orders can be combined with other items and are eligible for express delivery, arriving less than three hours after an order is placed. Pizzas are also still available for in-store or curbside orders.

According to Sam’s Club, the launch of pizza delivery is the latest step in a bigger shift to providing shoppers digital ease in ways that save time, add value and deepen customer connections, such as its new digital-first store format.

[READ MORE: First Look: Sam’s Club’s digital-first, store of the future]

"When we talk about innovation, it’s not just about what’s new — it’s about what makes life easier for our members," said Kurt Hess, group director, operations and implementation at Sam’s Club. "Pizza delivery is a perfect example: it brings together value, convenience and one of our most-loved café items in a way that fits how people shop today."

Bentonville, Ark.-based Sam’s Club, a division of Walmart Inc., operates nearly 600 stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.