Cross-Merchandising

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Thursday it will reduce prices on groceries by $1 billion in 2012, in hopes to draw customers in and encourage them to cross-shop in other areas of the store.

Wal-Mart had $145 billion in grocery sales last year in the United States, making it the largest player in terms of domestic grocery sales. It says the price reductions in food and consumables are an investment and won’t impact margins especially if shoppers respond as planned with additional traffic and loyalty.

Opening day for Major League Baseball is April 5, and Target was on its promotional game this past weekend featuring assortments of MLB licensed products in its weekly ad.

Los Angeles -- Starbucks Coffee Co. has been rated number one in a study of the most socially engaged companies by PhaseOne, a leading analytical-based research firm that helps companies to improve the quality, content and success rate of their marketing communication materials.

Conducted between July 2011 and January 2012, PhaseOne's social media engagement study looked at 75 top brands across six vertical markets and analyzed the social media engagement of more than 20 top brands.

Target has its low price promise, 5% REDcard Rewards and this week, just in time for Easter, its circular is filled with 50% off deals on toys from Star Wars, Mega Bloks, Disney and Fisher-Price toys. And if those offers aren’t incentive enough to generate a visit to the local Target the company also featured eight free gift card offers ranging in denominations from $5 for any two Procter & Gamble brand products to $35 for a $179 B70 Platinum Edition Keurig brand coffee maker.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Take a universal story, aim it toward a teen audience and have Kristen Stewart (of "Twilight" fame) as the star, and you have a recipe for a potential blockbuster. That is exactly what it is happening with "Snow White and the Huntsman," which also stars Oscar winner Charlize Theron, and HSN is getting in on the action by partnering with Universal Pictures to offer exclusive collections inspired by the film.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. —  Of all the mobile games out there, perhaps none is as popular, or addicting as Angry Birds. And the Angry Birds phenomenon doesn't end with digital games; plush toys, board games and costumes have all been inspired by this app. As the world's most-downloaded mobile game, it is no surprise that Rovio Entertainment would want to team up with Walmart for the newest version of Angry Birds, which will be released in app stores on March 22.

Plymouth Meeting, Pa. -- Fameco Real Estate announced that Sports Clips has signed its sixth lease in the Philadelphia region as part of an aggressive store roll out campaign.

Sports Clips is focusing its efforts on the Philadelphia MSA and Fameco’s Jim Creed is spearheading the expansion in this market which includes southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware.

New York -- Rovio, the maker of Angry Birds, is partnering up with a major U.S. retail chain to open dedicated Angry Birds in-store shops in thousands of locations nationwide, Reuters reported. The shops, which will feature branded toys, tee shirts and books, are being timed to debut with the launch of Angry Birds Space, the Finnish company’s latest downloadable game. The report said the partnership will be more extensive than Rovio’s existing agreement with Barnes & Noble.