Events

The NPD Group has signed a market information services agreement with Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and insights into what consumers watch and buy, for school and office supplies retail market data and analytic services.  

By combining Nielsen’s market information, including sales data from food and drug channels, with NPD’s existing school and office supplies business, which covers office superstores, mass merchants, e-commerce and other retailers, NPD says it will deliver the industry’s most complete view of the marketplace.

An estimated 3,000 suppliers and Walmart’s top executives are scheduled to participate in the retailers Product Sustainability Expo to be held from April 29 through May 1.

Promotional materials for the event, to be held at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers, Ark., describe it as an opportunity to recognize and celebrate amazing advances in sustainability and to discover emerging opportunities and innovations that represent a new standard in retail.

Uniqlo has enlisted musician and music producer Pharrell Williams as a collaborator and spokesperson for the UT 2014 spring-summer collection. Launched in 2003, Uniqlo’s UT T-shirt brand is getting a fresh start this year, as “The New Model T,” a collection produced by its creative director and street fashion icon Nigo.

Deerfield Park, Ill. - Walgreens and Roush Fenway Racing have launched a partnership to stage "The Race Around America" interactive promotion, presented by Balance Financial Prepaid MasterCard from Walgreens. By registering their cards for the promotion, Balance financial card cardholders will be entered in the sweepstakes portion of the omni-channel promotion.  

As a category of shopping center, open-air centers have been evolving ever since the days they were called lifestyle centers. New categories of tenants have evolved, along with new ways of creating compelling tenant mixes and environments. We asked three open-air owners to tell us about current and possible future directions that evolution may take.

The companies are San Diego-based American Assets Trust; Irvine Co. Retail Properties in Irvine, Calif.; and Columbus, Ohio-based Glimcher Realty Trust. Here’s what they had to say.

The South by Southwest interactive/music/lifestyle event held each year in Austin, Texas, will see leading workwear brand Dickies team up with Amazon to host a lineup of leading musical acts.

The companies have created The Dickie’s Roadhouse presented by Amazon at the iconic Austin establishment known as Banger’s on Rainey Street near the convention center. Headliners at the event include Ludacris and Until the Ribbon Breaks.

Glendale, Calif. — Throughout the spring and summer, Glendale Galleria will open nine new stores and eateries including Armani Jeans, Blaze Pizza, Brighton Collectibles, Chipotle, Coach, Earthbar, Lolli & Pops and Zumiez.

They will join La Baugette, another newcomer, which opened its Glendale Galleria location back in February.

New York -- As technology transforms multichannel retail into hyper-channel, “always-on” retailing, chains must emotionally connect with consumers as never before, according to Joseph Bona. Bona, president of branded environments for New York City-based brand agency/retail design firm CBX, is one of the featured speakers at Chain Store Age’s upcoming 50th annual SPECS conference,  March 9 -12, Grapevine, Texas.