Events

CEOs from top CPG companies gathered in Paris this week for a meeting of the Consumer Goods Forum where the board voted on a set of common sense initiatives related to health and wellness.
 
The Forum’s board of directors reaffirmed its commitment to the implementation of its Health & Wellness Resolutions published three years ago and said it was committed to leading the industry on several specific fronts, including:

Short Hills, N.J. — Visit Machu Picchu in Peru at The Mall at Short Hills this summer. In partnership with PromPeru: The Commission on the Promotion of Peru for Export and Tourism, The Mall at Short Hills will feature Peru-themed promotions from June 13 through July 10.

Highlights include:

An interactive exhibit of Machu Picchu: The centerpiece of the effort is a 20 X 30 ft. exhibit of the fabled Machu Picchu, the Incan citadel named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a 2007 international Internet poll.

Plano, Texas -- Garden Ridge announced that it is investing $20 million to rebrand all of its stores to the At Home brand.

"Our new name, At Home, better reflects our company's home décor heritage, as well as our aspirations for the future. By aligning our in-store transformation and merchandise offerings, the new brand best positions us to succeed as we move forward with our expansion strategy," said CEO Lee Bird.

Michaels has teamed with seven leading North American museums to create Passport to Imagination 2014, a low-cost, in-store summer program where kids ages 5-12 explore culture through crafting.

New York -- Michaels Cos. seeking as much as $528 million in its U.S. initial public offering, Bloomberg reported. The arts and crafts retailer is offering 27.8 million shares at $17 to $19 each, according to a regulatory filing Tuesday.
 
The IPO is being managed by JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

Michaels was taken private in 2006 by Bain Capital and Blackstone Group in a $6 billion leveraged buyout. Each firm will own 40% of the company after the offering, the report said.

Designer shoemaker Stuart Weitzman has selected Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen to be the face of its fall advertising campaign.

Set to launch in the U.S., Europe and Asia, the advertising campaign will feature black-and-white photos of Bundchen shot by photographer Mario Testino, whose work has appeared in Vogue and Vanity Fair.

Under Armour has confirmed that it plans to open in March 2015 its latest Brand House at 600 North Michigan Avenue in Chicago’s Magnificent Mile.

The location will feature nearly 30,000 sq. ft. of interactive retail space, and echo the retail concepts that the brand has successfully executed not only in New York, but also in its hometown in Baltimore, Maryland, and Tysons Corner in McLean, Virginia.