Michaels Stores, Inc. (972-409-1300) is opening a store in Rego Park, NY at the intersection of Metropolitan Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard at a two-level building. The store is slated to open during the fourth quarter at the former Heidelberg Printing Press Co. site. Cotenants include Staples and Trader Joe’s with 10,875 sq.ft. on the ground level.

Whole Foods Market, Inc. (512-477-4455) is planning to open 18 to 20 stores this year and has 94 additional stores in the planning stages. The company currently operates about 200 specialty supermarkets.

Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Inc. (510-594-2100) is planning to open 15 stores by the end of this year and opened eight stores during the past quarter.

Ruddick Corp. (704-372-5404) is planning to open seven Harris Teeter supermarkets during the fourth quarter of this year, as well as remodeling three locations. The openings would bring the company’s total store openings this fiscal year to 19. Plans for next fiscal year call for 16 openings and eight stores to be remodeled, of which four units will be expanded. The company currently operates 159 locations.

RPCS, Inc. (417-829-9200) recently opened nine Food Pyramid grocery stores throughout OK at former Albertsons sites. Three are located in Tulsa, including stores on 80^th Street, 51^st Street and Memorial Drive. Other locations are located in Bartlesville, Ponca City and Stillwater. The stores will include on-site Starbucks shops and a $3 prescription program for all store pharmacies. In addition, the stores will offer more bakery and deli selections, natural, organic and international foods and fresh sushi. The company operates 43 locations, 28 in-store pharmacies, 11 Starbucks, three restaurants and three fuel centers. The company trades as Ramey, Price Cutter, Price Cutter Plus and Smitty’s.

The Walking Co. (805-496-3005) is opening two stores in HI this month, including a location at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center in Waikiki and at Whalers Village in Maui. The company currently operates two locations in Maui with a store in Maui at Queen Kaahumanu Center and a location at the Shops at Wailea. In Honolulu, the company operates a store at Ala Moana Shopping Center. The stores carry more than 40 footwear brands and feature digital foot-scanning technology to help customers identify foot type and pressure points.

Big 5 Sporting Goods (310-536-0611) is planning to open five stores during the third quarter of this fiscal year for a total of 20 throughout the entire fiscal year. The company will also relocate one store. Currently, the company operates 348 stores in 10 states with an average store size of 11,000 sq.ft. The stores offer athletic shoes, apparel and accessories, as well as outdoor and athletic equipment for team sports, fitness, camping, hunting, fishing, tennis, golf, snowboarding and inline skating.

Starbucks Corp. (206-447-1575) is planning to open a store in Quincy, IL on Broadway by mid-to late fall. Starbucks will be joined by three to four other tenants expected to occupy the site, which is an ouparcel to the Quincy Mall.

NexCen Brands, Inc. (212-277-1100) entered into a 20-year agreement with TAF Mid-America Enterprises, Inc. to open at least 100 franchised The Athlete’s Foot stores during the next 14 years. TAF plans to open stores primarily in urban locations nationwide, with the first store slated to open this fall. The franchisee currently operates 31 stores nationwide and 40 locations in South Korea. NexCen operates Bill Blass, MaggieMoo’s, Marble Slab Creamery and Waverly franchises.