Walmart's launch earlier this week of its new premium private-label line, bettergoods, is the latest entry in the growing trend of retailers adding new store brands to drive loyalty among increasingly price-conscious shoppers. It's a model exemplified by Trader Joe's and its private brand's cult-like status among shoppers, says Oisin Hanrahan, CEO of Keychain, a platform that connects retailers seeking private-label products with manufacturers.

Kroger is investing $84 million to renovate 15 stores near the company headquarters in the Cincinnati area and it is also planning to build a Marketplace location in Hamilton Township, Ohio. In addition to enhanced produce, deli, meat, seafood and sushi departments, the new store will include an apparel section, a Murray's Cheese shop and a Starbucks.

Keds is collaborating with Mattel to release the Keds x Barbie footwear line that features four styles merging Keds' silhouettes with colors inspired by the doll's iconic looks over the years. The shoes, which have 1-inch platform soles and include the new Keds Point style, will launch on May 9 online and in some stores.

Gymshark, a digital-first activewear brand based in the UK, is eyeing the North American market and has hired former Abercrombie & Fitch executive Kim Dolder as general manager for North America. Dolder will lead the push to grow brand awareness and build a physical retail presence in the US, where Gymshark has created pop-ups in New York, Miami and Los Angeles and plans to open a flagship soon.

Stanley is riding on the wave of its viral tumblers to launch a line of bags called the Quencher Carry-All that can hold the brand's 40-ounce Quencher cup with room left for the wearer's phone, wallet and keys. Limited-edition Stanley cups created for Target and Starbucks brought out throngs of fans, and the brand is seeing the same popularity for its new products -- the bags debuted in mid-April and there was soon a 50,000-person waitlist.

Spain-based luxury conglomerate Puig, parent of Nina Ricci and Rabanne, is set to go public Friday in an initial stock offering that could value the company at about $15 billion. The company has been family-owned and controlled since its founding in 1914, but a company rule bans the next generation from taking executive roles, ensuring that new outside talent will succeed CEO Marc Puig Guasch.

Huntington Shopping Center on New York's Long Island has been redone to more closely resemble a town square than a suburban mall and now features six buildings with more than 277,000 square feet of retail. Federal Realty Investment Trust has recruited a Whole Foods Market for the site, repaired the parking lot and created new facades for all the storefronts.

Mother's Day is around the corner and consumers are expected to spend an average of $254 per person to celebrate mom on her big day. A record three-quarters of those celebrating Mother's Day plan to send flowers, and shoppers under the age of 25 plan to spend $42 more on average than the typical consumer. Read more on shoppers' Mother's Day plans for gifts, celebrations and where they're finding inspiration.

Shoppers under the age of 25 plan to spend $42 more on average on Mother's Day than the typical consumer. Source: NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics.

Last week, Walmart US President and CEO and NRF Chairman John Furner hosted Walmart's Opportunity Summit: Investing in American Jobs, a daylong conversation about career pathways in retail and service businesses for Americans without a four-year college degree. NRF is committed to being a part of the system that empowers workers to develop skills for first steps and fresh starts in their careers, regardless of age or background, writes NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. He discusses how the NRF Foundation provides education and opportunities for a successful future in retail. Read more.

Beyonce's new country album and the cover image featuring her horse inspired Arby's to create the new limited-time Chardonneigh's Horsey Sauce. The chardonnay-infused version of the chain's original Horsey Sauce will come in frosted wine bottles and be available for sale online later this month.