Cross-Merchandising

Michaels has teamed with seven leading North American museums to create Passport to Imagination 2014, a low-cost, in-store summer program where kids ages 5-12 explore culture through crafting.

Nearly two months after opening up a specialty retail location in New York’s SoHo neighborhood, Under Armour has confirmed that it plans to open in March 2015 its latest Brand House at 600 North Michigan Ave. in Chicago’s Magnificent Mile.

The coming months will see the name “At Home” popping up on 71 Garden Ridge stores in 21 states as the home décor store undergoes a significant rebranding and remerchandising initiative.

By Jeff Weidauer, VP of marketing and strategy, Vestcom International

Healthy is hip. That’s the message coming from most media outlets, as well as consumers in general. Overall interest among Americans in healthful meal options is at an all-time high. Yet, at the same time, some healthy-focused retailers are struggling. Whole Foods Market has seen its growth slowing and has issued lower target guidance to shareholders. Smaller companies like Fresh Market are even resorting to closing stores. What’s going on?

Swedish clothing retailer H&M will be celebrating the July 17 opening of its museum-inspired Fifth Avenue flagship store with the help of artist Jeff Koons.

The partnership — H&M’s first artist collaboration — will take the form of a handbag that Koons designed in the shape of his famous stainless steel balloon dog sculpture. The handbag will be sold starting July 17 at H7M stores in New York, Dallas, Chicago and Los Angeles.

As the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the industry, Ace Hardware knows plenty about paint. But it turns out it may also know a thing or two about nail color. In the first-ever collaboration of its kind, Ace Hardware has partnered with nail lacquer brand OPI to create an exclusive color palette by Clark+Kensington, Ace’s premium paint line.

The new color palette will launch this month in more than 3,200 Ace Hardware stores nationwide and offer consumers the opportunity to adopt their favorite nail lacquer colors as part of their home décor.

Roughly 1,300 American Eagle Outfitters employees are participating this year in the retailer’s second annual AEO Better World Community Day.

The operator of more than 1,000 stores throughout the U.S. and several international markets developed the community involvement initiative last year as a means to unite employees for a common cause to make a difference at the local level. The company designated Tuesday, June 10 as Better World Day.

Emma & Roe, a new concept from Australia-based, global jewelry retailer Michael Hill International, has opened its doors in Queensland, Australia. Focused on the jewelry charms business, Emma & Roe stands out for its bold but feminine visual stylings. Clean lines are accented with touches of elegance to balance Emma & Roe’s sophistication and moments of playfulness. The color palette features a signature berry color, complemented by a fresh, youthful bright pink and a neutral slate grey.

Jelly Belly Candy Co. is prepping for Halloween 2014 with a mix of sinister and sweet  thanks to the company's new Disney Vile Villains themed bags.

Four Disney villains — Ursula, Captain Hook, the Evil Queen and Maleficent — will adorn the bags. Each bag is filled with a "Vile Villains" mix, which consists of Jewel Very Cherry, Jewel Sour Apple, Jewel Orange, Jewel Blueberry and new Jewel Grape Soda.

Las Vegas -- The Hershey Company has opened a retail flagship, Hershey’s Chocolate World at New York-New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

The store, which occupies two floors and has an eye-catching 74-ft. high Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar that visitors can walk through, is designed to provide shoppers with an experiential concept that immerses them in more than 800 candy and chocolate offerings.