Cross-Merchandising

Gurnee, Ill. -- Construction has begun on a 140,000-sq.-ft. full-line Macy’s that will anchor a new full-price wing at Gurnee Mills, in Gurnee, Ill.

With the addition of the department store, which is expected to open in late summer 2013, Gurnee Mills said it will be distinguished as the first hybrid shopping destination of its kind, combining full-price, outlet and value retail all under one roof.

New York -- The world’s largest retailer is taking steps to display its home-improvement prowess through a digital marketing campaign centered on a “Projects Made Simple” area at Walmart.com.

The area is organized by home improvement project. For instance: how to stain a deck, install a water filter system, caulk a window or install a towel bar. In the deck video, an unidentified handy man narrator explains, “All the tools are available at Walmart to get you going.”

NEW YORK — New research that will appear in the upcoming issue of the Journal of Marketing Research explores consumer sentiment over the extension of a premium brand outside of its typical category.

SAN FRANCISCO — Gap Inc.'s online shop, Piperlime, will make its retail store debut this fall, at 121 Wooster St. in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City.

The new 4,000 sq. ft. Piperlime store will offer a similar curated assortment as online, the company said. Styled as a boutique, the store will feature the best range of coveted, iconic brands like Milly, Frye and Citizens of Humanity as well as little known finds including Tinley Road, Ash and Maison Scotch.

WAYNE, N.J. — Babies“R”Us is offering customers a new way to support military moms-to-be through a partnership with Operation Shower, an organization that hosts baby showers for military wives to ease the stress of their husbands’ deployment. The retailer has launched Babiesrus.com/OperationShower, which will serve as an online information portal, where visitors can learn how they can support this charitable program and ensure that military moms-to-be, who are often far away from friends and family, receive basic essentials for their newborns.

CINCINNATI — Kroger announced that it has kicked off a sales event during May that will support the broad range of programs and services the United Service Organizations provides to service members, their families and veterans.

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — Kohl's has added athletic merchandise from Fila to its exclusive of Kohl's Care collection. Available now through the end of July, the collection offers chic and stylish athletic apparel, accessories and gifts which can be found in all 40 Wisconsin Kohl's stores and online at Kohls.com, with 100% of the net profit donated to support the fight against breast cancer, the company said.

NEW YORK — Sears has partnered withBonnier Corp., publisher of Outdoor Life magazine to launch an exclusive line of Outdoor Life branded sportswear for men.The line will be available in more than 800 Sears stores nationwide and on Sears.com, beginning September.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Kmart is introducing prescription pet medications at its stores, the mass-merchandise retail chain said Friday.

The company said the new program was designed to make it easier for customers to get branded and generic pet drugs and more convenient to shop for the whole family. More than 60% of American households own a pet, and families spent more than $50 billion on their pets in 2011, according to the American Pet Products Association.

Boston -- City Sports will open its 21st store, in Burlington, Vt., on May 6.

The eco-conscious space—built utilizing reclaimed materials from previous stores—was designed to capture the spirit of the community. The existing ceiling was kept, and all lighting fixtures were replaced with energy-efficient bulbs.