Cross-Merchandising

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart is giving fans of Marvel's "The Avengers" exclusive access to the Super Hero Augmented Reality (AR) game featuring their favorite Avengers, including Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Hulk, Hawkeye and Black Widow. This new "Super Hero AR" app is available now for download at the iTunes App Store and Android Market.

MINNEAPOLIS — Emilio Estefan, the Grammy Award-winning music producer and husband to Gloria Estefan, is working with Target in a unique partnership that will the retailer appeal to the Latin community in key markets.

According to Target, Estefan will work closely with the company to curate a special selection of his favorite music, movies and books titled “Emilio Estefan’s Picks” that will available at select stores beginning June 6. Target will also leverage Estefan's close ties with Latin artists to develop exclusive music deals.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Grilling is the theme of Sam's Club's annual "Spring Taste of Sam's Club" event, and the retailer is inviting members and non-members to sample some unexpected grilling options at its free event taking place Friday, April 27 to Sunday, April 29 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

NEW YORK — Macy's will soon have a Brazilian feel when the company debuts "O Mercado, the Market at Macy's" on April 22 in about 300 stores and online at Macys.com. The company describes O Mercado as a curated shop of Brazilian products, and it is the next installation of the retailer's "Brasil: A Magical Journey" campaign, which will officially kick off on May 16.

Miami Beach, Fla. -- Walgreens and Car Charging Group, a nationwide provider of electric vehicle (EV) charging services, have expanded EV charging services to 13 Walgreens locations in Orlando and Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fla.

The two companies plan to broaden their EV charging services with more locations in major metropolitan cities in Florida, as well as in other cities including Phoenix; Akron, Canton and Columbus, Ohio; and Austin, Texas.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Bi-Lo and Coca-Cola have partnered with the USO to support its Operation Phone Home program, which connects troops deployed overseas with their families back home through, among other things, a private phone network. For every rotisserie meal bundle sold at all Bi-Lo stores, Coca-Cola will donate $1 to OPH, which buys troops about 20 minutes of talk time.

WESTBOROUGH, Mass. — BJ's Wholesale Club is capitalizing on the growing demand for locally-grown produce by launching its "Farm to Club" program in each of its 195 clubs in 15 states. Rolling out this spring and summer, the Farm to Club program includes a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables that will be clearly marked with a special "Farm to Club, Locally Grown" seal.

If you’re like me and watch more TV than you should, you’ve probably seen the unusual new Target commercials with the hot air balloon. These “Color Changes Everything” spots feature a troupe of lively individuals landing in a hot air balloon (which, when seen from above, sports a gigantic version of the distinctive Target bullseye logo) and cavorting through an urban setting in acrobatic fashion, magically transforming the clothing, accessories and household goods of the people they encounter into stuff that is brighter, hipper and generally cooler and more fun.

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Bi-Lo noted last week that three of its locations along the South Carolina coastline had been refreshed in March.

“Bi-Lo believes in offering our customers the highest possible standards and this remodel program speaks directly to that,” stated Bi-Lo president Michael Byars.

The enhanced departments in the updated stores feature improved freshness, variety and quality, including:

By Elizabeth Cogswell Baskin, [email protected]

Retailers are flocking to the visually enticing Pinterest site to engage with consumers. But the site can also be a powerful driver to engage employees.

Why is Pinterest suddenly such a big deal? For one thing, it’s exploding with growth. In September of last year, they had less than 2 million users. Now, it has 20 million users or more.