Co-Marketing

MINNEAPOLIS — Target announced that it is partnering with designers Albertus Swanepoel and Dana Kellin to introduce two affordable, limited-edition accessories collections beginning this fall.

The Associated Press reported last week that First Lady Michelle Obama was sighted shopping incognito at a D.C. area Target store wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses. Secret Service agents arrived about a half-hour before Mrs. Obama, who walked in through the main entrance with an assistant and spent 30 to 40 minutes shopping and pushing her own cart, according to AP.

Seattle -- Starbucks Coffee Company is teaming up with the Opportunity Finance Network (OFN)  to launch a “Create Jobs for USA” fund. 

Starting Nov.1, the new initiative will pool donations from Starbucks customers, partners (employees) and citizens into a nationwide fund for community business lending. One-hundred percent of the donations will go toward loans for firms and organizations that can add jobs or stem job losses, Starbucks said. 

DENVER — Quiznos will open restaurants in Meijer locations in Michigan, the quick service restaurant announced Wednesday. The relationship between Quiznos and Meijer is the most recent in a series of successful partnerships and store openings in Quiznos’ non-traditional development strategy, the company announced.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — Staples announced that it has teamed up with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and Avery Dennison to create a new line of home office products.

The Martha Stewart Home Office with Avery product line will debut in early 2012 with more than 300 SKUs across multiple product categories, which will be sold exclusively at Staples.

Framingham, Mass. -- Staples has partnered with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia to create a new line of home office items that have female appeal.

The line, to be called Martha Stewart Home Office, will be made by Avery Dennison Corp. and will include some 300 products. The items will make its debut in Staples stores in early 2012.

COSTA MESA, Calif. — Anna’s Linens has partnered with television personality and home designer Domenica Brazzi for a bedding and accessories collection launching simultaneously in all 285 Anna’s Linens stores and online at the end of September. 

MINNEAPOLIS — Target announced that this fall it is investing more than $50 million in education. The donation will fund programs such as Target School Library Makeovers, Take Charge of Education and a series of education grants and awards that will provide the resources needed to help students and teachers excel, the company reported.

Exclusive arrangements with celebrities can be a good thing, as long as the right celebrity is involved. Target appeared to pick a winner last year when it tied up with Food Network celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis to launch an exclusive line. Now, Consumer Reports has confirmed that at least one of the key items in the line tastes really good.

San Francisco -- Williams-Sonoma and Barclaycard announced Thursday a new co-branded Visa credit card and loyalty program, allowing cardholders to earn points redeemable for culinary-themed awards and enjoy a wide range of perks.