Cross-Merchandising

Hasbro has signed a global licensing agreement with Pez International to develop a My Little Pony-branded line of Pez dispensers, Pez dextrose fizzy candy and fizzy rolls.

Hasbro will begin rolling out the new line beginning in early 2015 in Germany, France and Austria followed by additional markets worldwide. The new dispensers and candy will be on display at Hasbro Booth #D020 at Brand Licensing Europe in Olympia, London, October 7-9.

The makers of Jimmy Dean products have launched Sunniest Day of the Year — a one-day campaign advertising the brand’s new lunch and dinner offerings. The Jimmy Dean brand Sun character is traveling across the US and documenting every step of his adventure on social media.

In addition to the robust digital content, the Sunniest Day of the Year also includes a national television advertising integration with a guest appearance by the Sun, the launch of a custom microsite (www.sunniestday.com) to track the cross-country journey and a national consumer sweepstakes.

Michaels is looking to generate traffic to its stores for Halloween with its annual in-store Great Pumpkin Event and the launch of its "Trick Your Pumpkin" sweepstakes Saturday, Oct. 4.

Every Friday from Oct. 10-31, Michaels will award a $250 Michaels gift card and gift basket of Plaid products to a randomly selected customer who creates a pumpkin craft. To enter, customers must post a photo of their pumpkin on Instagram with #TrickYourPumpkin and #sweepstakes, or at www.michaels.com/trickyourpumpkin, beginning Oct. 4.

The consumer electronics category is expected to set a holiday sales record this season and one of the hottest brands going right now is the GoPro line of cameras and accessories.

That explains why Best Buy just expanded its offering of the popular brand to feature a striking 12 foot display that features an endcap with a 40 inch monitor to showcase the type of video the GoPro line is capable of capturing. A centerpiece of the display will be the brand’s new HERO4 model which will be available on October 5.

As the holiday begins to creep closer, GameStop is looking to generate store traffic by unveiling a series of new loyalty incentives during October for PowerUp Rewards program members. The specialty retailer is also offering special financing for new PowerUp Rewards credit cardholders.

In addition to accruing points for purchases and early access to exclusives, PowerUp Rewards Pro shoppers will be able to maximize their loyalty earnings during the month of October, the company said.

Ann Arbor, Mich. -- Shoppers are planning to spend less money and purchase gifts for fewer people this holiday season compared to last year, while also maximizing their budgets through Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales and online cost comparison, according to the CFI Group 2014 Holiday Retail Spending Report: Black Friday is Back.  

As part of its new ad match campaign, Family Dollar plans to match the price on any local competitors' printed advertisement starting tomorrow.

New York -- Uniqlo is partnering with DOOB, a global provider of 3D technology-based products and services, on an interactive holiday campaign called the “Selfless Selfie Project. The program encourage people to take a selfie that isn’t as much about them but about giving back – such as pledging to do something to give back to their local community.

Meijer has launched a first-of-its-kind food solutions program in each of its 213 stores. According to the retailer, “Ready! For You” is designed to meet the tastes and lifestyles of busy families by providing recipe ideas, inspiration and savings opportunities in-store and online.

Despite posting increases in consolidated net and comparable store sales, the Finish Line’s second-quarter results fell short of its expectations, thanks to softness in the specialty retailer’s basketball offering.

Despite the slowdown in basketball-related sales, the running-related sales increased in the mid-single digits, driven by casual and performance styles. Consolidated net sales were $466.9 million, an increase of 7.1% over the prior year period. Comparable store sales increased 1.5%.