Here’s a riddle for you: What happens when Martha Stewart goes to a rural farm supply company? Well, she launches an apparel collection, of course. Yes, really.

The entrepreneur and chef, alongside Marquee Brands and French Dressing Jeans Inc., has joined forces with Tractor Supply, the rural lifestyle retailer known for its home improvement and farm products. The result is a garden apparel line featuring eight clothing items for women including pieces like a garden chore jacket and garden work shirt.

“This new line of apparel reflects my passion for gardening and outdoor work, so I am thrilled to share it with consumers,” Stewart said in a statement. “With creativity and hard work at the core of gardening, this collection embraces artistry and functionality, bringing ease to those who strive to keep a healthy, beautiful garden.”

The line, which is currently exclusively sold across select Tractor Supply stores and online, has been available for purchase since March 25 but has been in the works for quite some time.

“Marquee Brands that Martha works with came to Tractor Supply probably January of 2023, about this concept that was the Martha line,” Jamie Martin, VP of clothing and gift merchandising at Tractor Supply, told Retail Brew, adding that Stewart was “hyper involved” in the design and ideation process of every piece.

Keep reading here.—JS

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As Retail Brew has previously reported, more than a third of retail managers expect to open stores this year, but thus far, major closures have dominated headlines, including Macy’s closing 150 locations and Dollar Tree’s plan to shutter nearly 1,000. Here’s a roundup of recent and upcoming ribbon-cuttings and farewells.

BJ’s Wholesale Club

BJ’s plans to open five new storefronts this spring, and the 12 it will open this year are more than it’s launched in the past two decades. These new stores will open in Florida, Indiana, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

• Each store will employ roughly 150 workers.
• “It wasn’t too long ago that we stopped opening clubs because we really didn’t know how to do it well,” Chairman and CEO Bob Eddy said during a Q4 earnings call last month. “We weren’t doing it profitably. We didn’t have enough members when we opened the clubs.”

Lids

Lids opened its third Lids Hat Drop concept store last month, in St. Louis. The company launched the Hat Drop in an online-only format in 2022, but has since opened physical locations in New York and Houston.

Keep reading here.—KM

Since it filed to go public in December, Panera Bread, which helped pioneer the fast-casual category, has been watched closely by would-be shareholders. And according to a new report from Placer.ai, the chain has been as hot as the soup in one of its bread bowls.

The report stated that the company has been on a “growth spurt,” noting that its February monthly visits were up 5.2% YoY.

The report also noted that, since it’s popular for both coffee and morning fare as well as lunch and dinner items, it doesn’t see the lags that competitors like Starbucks and Sweetgreen experience early or late in the day.

Keep reading here.—AAN

(Omni)channel a better CX. To deliver a modern and memorable shopping experience and transform business capabilities, brands need to turn challenges into opportunities. That’s why NewStore, commercetools, and ChangeCX teamed up to create the 2024 Omnichannel Leadership Report. This report assessed 700 brands in 10 countries to help brands elevate their experiences.