Cross-Merchandising

Delivering an excellent in-store experience to customers is no easy task for retailers. In addition to ensuring your employees are offering exceptional customer service, you need to consider how shoppers will perceive every aspect of your store environment, including lighting, music, floor plans and merchandise display. But in determining how to create an optimum in-store environment, don’t forget one of the most important factors that can positively influence the customer experience—scent.

Pier 1 Imports is celebrating the holidays with two unusual pop-up experiences.

The home décor retailer is creating a life-sized, pop-up book installation, open to the public from December 2 – 6, in downtown Manhattan.

It also is sending a limited edition, holiday pop-up catalog, created in collaboration with award-winning paper engineer Bruce Foster, to select customers. To see a video of the pop-up catalog, click here.

Urban Outfitters Inc. will spend less than $20 million on its acquisition of Vetri Family Restaurant group, which owns the well-regarded Pizzeria Vetri chain, Bloomberg reported. The acquisition comes as consumers are spending more on “experiences” rather than clothing. “We believe that we do experiences really well and know our customer very well, and we have a lot of history in growing brands organically,” Urban Outfitters CFO Frank Conforti told Bloomberg.

CBL & Associates Properties and Fisher-Price along with special guest, Santa Claus, delivered an early Christmas gift to families at West Towne Mall in Madison, Wisconsin.

The brand new soft play area attraction is now open and is the first of its kind in the country, resembling a larger-than-life Toy Box featuring iconic children’s brands like Thomas & Friends, Little People, and more.

Target Corp. is giving the bargain-priced, impulse section located in the front of its stores a makeover.

The retailer is transforming the popular department into “Bullseye’s Playground,” and the chain’s iconic mascot, Bullseye, will be located on the top of each display.

 Any toy purchased at Meijer through Nov. 30 will help the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer grant a child's wish this holiday season.

Meijer is once again donating a portion of customer purchases made in the toy department, up to $400,000, to children's gift-giving programs throughout the Midwest.

Any toy purchased at Meijer through Nov. 30 will help the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based retailer grant a child's wish this holiday season.

Meijer is once again donating a portion of customer purchases made in the toy department, up to $400,000, to children's gift-giving programs throughout the Midwest.

Online retail sales continue to increase – both in absolute terms and as a percentage of total retail sales. The fact remains, however, that online commerce takes place in what is essentially a one-dimensional transactional venue.

Meijer is practically giving away roughly 1 million turkeys this thanksgiving to help generate store traffic and boost transaction size.

The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based operator of 223 stores said it planned to repeat a turkey promotion from last year that involved selling birds at half off as long as shoppers spend at least $20. The pricing discount applies to any size, brand or type of turkey. In the case of Meijer brand frozen turkeys, that means the price will be 52 cents a pound.