The money will be spent on remodeling to accommodate expanded merchandise assortments and a broader merchandise mix, as well as for certain other customer service improvements.
But as hotels scramble to distinguish themselves, many are rethinking their shops, upgrading and expanding merchandise and fashioning shops as destinations for both guests and local residents, much as they did with restaurants a decade ago.
After their enormous success on mobile devices, the birds expanded to merchandise, and a film is in the works.
Vision Quest expanded its merchandise to include DVD's, games, home theater and stereo equipment and cellphones.
But the dollar stores have best been able to capitalize on the downmarket trend because of strategies they embraced during the recession, when the stores kept things cheap and expanded their merchandise, analysts said.
In 1957 Jacob expanded the merchandise, adding household appliances to the sales floor.
It offers full-service grocery and pharmacy departments as well as an expanded general merchandise area that includes outdoor living products, electronics, home goods and toys.
Ms. Stewart, who is chairwoman of the company she founded in 1997, said that the company would focus on expanding its merchandising division and its international growth.
Mr. Bank thinks that because the company's standards remain so high for all of its products, from its blueberry muffin recipes to Ms. Stewart's new MarthaPantry line at J. C. Penney, the company has potential to expand its merchandising business abroad.
An entire subset of Bravo programming has been devoted to the world of high-end hair salons: "Blow Out" followed the hairstylist Jonathan Antin as he strove to expand his merchandising empire; "Shear Genius" engages hairstylists in heated competition; "Tabatha's Salon Takeover" features tough-love makeovers for mismanaged businesses.
