Cross-Merchandising

WAYNE, N.J. — Toys"R'Us will be the exclusive retailer of an assortment of toys inspired by Happy Feet 2, RetailingToday.com learned Friday.

Toys available only at Toys"R"Us include talking plush dolls from Thinkway Toys. The 12-inch stuffed birds say phrases from the film when their left wings are pressed. Characters, which are sold separately include Erik, Ramon, Sven and Atticus.

San Antonio, Texas -- A Friday report in the San Antonio Express News said that grocer H-E-B has opened its Toyland mall-based stores for the second year in a row.

The seasonal toy and entertainment concept – which sells no groceries – is called H-E-B Toyland and is currently open at Rolling Oaks Mall (San Antonio), the San Marcos (Texas) Premium Outlets, and in Corpus Christi, Texas, until Jan. 15.

WAYNE, N.J. — Toys"R"Us announced that it has partnered with Nickelodeon Consumer Products for an exclusive line of consumer electronics inspired by the hit Nickelodeon show, "Victorious."

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Sam's Club announced that it is inviting customers to "try before they buy" and plan their holiday menus at the ninth annual Holiday Taste of Sam's Club event. Showcasing dozens of food and beverage items at multiple sampling booths in each of its 610 Sam's Club locations, the event takes place from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. each day from Friday Nov. 18 through Sunday Nov. 20.

The nearly 1,000 stores Gap Inc. operates under various nameplates that will be open on Thanksgiving are the latest indication of the extreme measures required of retailers to grow holiday sales during challenging and intensively competitive times.

Target is out with a beast of a holiday toy catalog that weigha in at 52 glossy pages that employs a variety of incentives to promote sales in advance of Thanksgiving weekend. Nothing unusual about that or the fact that the publication features all sorts of cool products and high quality photography that is sure to have kids drooling if parents make the mistake of leaving the thing lying around.

New York City -- Apparel manufacturer Weatherproof will open its first Apartment 32 store on Nov. 10, in the SoHo section of Manhattan. The flagship location, which will carry women’s and men’s apparel, will have an unusual “leave your Blackberry at the door” policy.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Walmart chief merchandising officer Duncan Mac Naughton expressed optimism about the retailer’s prospects for the holiday season and beyond during comments at a Bentonville Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce meeting with attracted more than 500 people. The function was held on Tuesday.

It was a wonderful weekend to be a coupon clipper, especially for shoppers looking to load their pantry with P&G brands. In Sunday newspapers this weekend, the consumer goods giant dropped its P&G Brand Saver insert, which featured some very high value coupons, including one for $2 off a 100-ounce jug of Tide that was ostensibly offered as a gift to shoppers to commemorate the detergent’s 65th anniversary.

News spread quickly last week that Target stores would open at midnight on Black Friday, and that was the idea. The company earned a tremendous amount of media exposure by announcing its earliest ever opening time and joined the ranks of other retailers eager to accommodate the desires of millions of Americans by opening as early as possible on Black Friday.