News Briefs

A major upcoming mixed-use development in downtown Detroit has secured its first official retail tenant.

Alo Yoga is the first retailer to sign on to the Hudson’s Detroit project, a two-building $1.4 billion development from real estate firm Bedrock. According to the Detroit Free Press, the store will be located in the 12-story "office block" building, which will become home to the new General Motors headquarters later this year. 

The other Hudson's building, a 49-story skyscraper, is set to feature condos and a luxury hotel when it opens in 2027. Hudson’s Detroit broke ground in 2017 at the former site of the historic J.L. Hudson department store, which was demolished in 1998.

Alo, known for its high-end athletic and athleisurewear and accessories, is expected to open its downtown location this summer. Its only other Michigan location is at Somerset Collection Mall in Troy.

[READ MORE: Alo Yoga takes ‘sanctuary’ at Mall of America]

"Detroit is brimming with purpose and Alo's dedication to wellness and community complements the city's vibrancy and growth,” said Naumann Idrees, Bedrock’s senior VP of leasing in a statement on LinkedIn. “As the inaugural retail tenant at Hudson's Detroit, we welcome Alo and embrace this as a significant moment for the city."

Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Beverly Hills, Calif., Alo currently operates 71 locations worldwide.

(Image credit: Bedrock Detroit)

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New tenants, relocations, and renovations are among the changes arriving at Westfield Montgomery in time for spring and summer.

The 1.1 million-sq.-ft. shopping center in Bethesda, Md., located north of Washington D.C., has announced the arrival of two renowned national fashion brands, the expansion of two retailers, and four new dining experiences.

Children’s apparel retailer Janie & Jack will relocate to a new space across the hall to accommodate a new retailer that will be announced soon. Shortly after, Uniqlo will make its debut at Westfield Montgomery, opening its almost 12,000 sq. ft. store. Lululemon will relocate to a larger, remodeled space, and skincare service Below Zero Swiss Science will open its doors, aiming for a late spring grand opening. Closing out the second quarter, apparel and accessories retailer Garage will open a store at the center.

Quick-serve restaurant chains Thai Express and Subway will also join the shopping center’s list of tenants, while upscale restaurants Shiki Fusion and Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings will open within the mall’s Dining Terrace. 

Additionally, in February, AMC Theatres marked the completion of their renovations to 16 auditoriums within their location at the mall, AMC Montgomery 16. The upgrades include the brand new premium large format experience, PRIME at AMC, and 15 traditional auditoriums featuring spacious, heated recliners. The renovation also now presents upgraded food and beverage menus and tech-advanced ticketing and concession ordering kiosks.

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"We're thrilled to announce the addition of several new tenants in 2025, marking the beginning of a series of exciting changes for Westfield Montgomery," said Jason Dyer, senior general manager. "We are excited to expand our offerings and provide our shoppers with unique experiences, including two highly sought-after fashion brands, Garage and Uniqlo, and renowned dining outlets, Nan Xiang and Shiki Bistro."

Three-quarters of U.S. consumers plan to celebrate Mother’s Day this year, but more than half plan to keep their spending modest.

Of the 74% who will celebrate the moms in their lives on Sunday, May 11, according to new data from Numerator, nearly six-in-10 (58%) plan to spend between $25-100 on the holiday. The most popular plans for Mother’s Day this year include gathering with family and friends (41%), giving gifts, going out to eat (32%), cooking or baking at home (22%) and grilling or barbecuing (17%).

Numerator found that Mother’s Day celebrators plan to buy their supplies at big box stores (35%), grocery stores (35%), online retailers (31%), local shoppers/small businesses (22%) and restaurants, bars or food delivery services. Among those planning to buy gifts, the most likely purchases are flowers or plants (52%), gift cards (36%), spa or beauty products (20%), jewelry (19%) and apparel (16%).

[READ MORE: Survey: Flowers, greeting cards, gift cards top Mother's Day shopping lists]

A recent estimate from the National Retail Federation revealed that total Mother’s Day spending is expected to reach $34.1 billion this year. The amount is up from last year’s $33.5 billion and follows closely behind the record of $35.7 billion in 2023.

Additional insights from Numerator include the following: 

• 89% of all celebrators intend to buy something for the holiday.
• Gen Z celebrators are the most likely to give gifts (50% vs. 33% for all celebrators), and are also 3.5x more likely to purchase decorations.
• Boomers who plan to purchase gifts are more likely to choose gift cards (45% vs. 36%), while millennials are more likely to purchase spa or beauty products (29% vs. 20%).

California’s largest shopping center has added new tenants in time for spring and summer.

Orange County’s South Coast Plaza has welcomed several new luxury retail tenants as well as eateries to its mix. Last year, the shopping center debuted nearly 40 new boutiques, and is currently on track to outpace that number.

"This spring is an exciting time of growth at South Coast Plaza," said Debra Gunn Downing, executive director of marketing at South Coast Plaza. "These vibrant, new boutiques and dining experiences continue to further elevate the experience for our shoppers and tell the story of Southern California's premier shopping destination."

[READ MORE: South Coast Plaza adds new luxury apparel tenants]

New tenants that have just opened at South Coast Plaza include:

• A West Coast flagship for Dior Beauty;
• Luxury swimwear label Eres;
• A new Tiffany pop-up;
• Japanese restaurant Ramen Nagi;
• Chinese/Peruvian restaurant Vox Kitchen.

Other arrivals debuting later this spring/summer include Ami Paris, Eleventy, and Guerlain as well as new stores for Gianvito Rossi, Moncler, Roger Vivier, Sandro and See’s Candies. Coming this fall are Alo and Skims, along with new concepts for Bottega Veneta, Camilla, Club Monaco, Crate & Barrel, MaxMara, and Tumi.

Located in Costa Mesa, Calif., South Coast Plaza is home to more than 280 retail stores and restaurants.

The world’s largest cosmetics company is significantly enhancing online marketing performance of one of its brands.

L’Oreal is utilizing the AI-based Appier Ad Cloud and Personalization Cloud solutions and partnering with media services provider Omnicom Media Group to strategically identify and engage high-value customer segments. 

The company leverages the advanced segmentation, behavioral analysis and time-sensitive offers enabled by Ad Cloud to strategically identify and engage high-value customer segments. In addition, L’Oreal uses the smart conversion optimizer within the Personalization Cloud to target hesitant customers with personalized incentives that have been reported to lift coupon performance while protecting profit margins.

L'Oreal further supported these capabilities with data-informed promotional strategies, scaling back incentives during high-demand periods and increasing engagement in quieter seasons to sustain conversion momentum. According to L’Oreal, this strategic modulation of campaign intensity has helped strike a balance between growth and profitability.

Since L'Oréal launched this program to improve the online marketing performance of the SkinCeuticals site, it says it has achieved a 152% quarter-over-quarter increase in return on ad spend, a 400% uplift in conversion rate among hesitant visitors, with a 48% boost in total on-site revenue.

"Appier helped us accelerate AI transformation in advertising and marketing, boosting revenue while improving operational effectiveness," said Maggie Hui, SkinCeuticals & Kérastase e-commerce manager at L'Oréal. "From behavior-triggered campaigns and time-sensitive offers to advanced segmentation and seamless user experiences, Appier's technology played a crucial role in turning data insights into action."

[READ MORE: L’Oreal developing sustainable cosmetics generative AI model with IBM]