Displays & Signs

New York -- Target Corp. has signed a lease to open a 20,000-sq.-ft. location in Minneapolis that will serve as a test of a new format called TargetExpress, the New York Times reported. The new unit, considerably smaller than CityTarget’s 80,000- to 125,000-sq.-ft. footprint, would be the chain’s smallest store to date.

Canton, Mass. - Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc., the parent company of Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, has entered a multi-year marketing partnership with Liverpool Football Club (FC) to support global expansion of the Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins brands. Under the agreement, Dunkin' Donuts will become the official coffee, tea and bakery partner for Liverpool FC, and Baskin-Robbins will become the official ice cream partner.

Los Angeles – American Apparel has opened a newly remodeled and expanded store in Berlin, Germany. Located in Mitte, the central borough of Berlin, the store was originally opened in February 2007 as American Apparel's third location in the city.

The NRF 2014 Conference & Exposition kicked things off Sunday, Jan. 12 with sessions examining both how social media will continue to evolve as a dominant means of customer interaction and how the brick-and-mortar store will remain a highly relevant part of the retail environment in the 21st century. Let’s look at a few highlights from each session.

Picturing Social Success

New York -- Polaroid Fotobar will open an 8,500-sq.-ft. flagship at The LINQ, a new retail, dining and entertainment district in Las Vegas by Caesars Entertainment.

The retail format made its debut in 2013, with  three stores in Florida ( Delray Beach, Orlando and Miami). Upcoming plans include another location in Florida, in Boca Raton.

Las Vegas -- Facial visualization and imaging technology company ModiFace is introducing a 3-D Augmented Reality Makeup and Anti-Aging Mirror to help beauty brands and retailers market their products to consumers standing at cosmetic counters, as well as shopping at home.

GE has launched a sweepstakes featuring its Dalmatian mascot, Artie, giving participants a chance to win a GE Artistry Series suite. The sweepstakes, which ends Tuesday, Jan. 7, is hosted on the manufacturer’s website and is designed to introduce Millennials to the brand.

A decade after Staples made the phrase, “that was easy,” part of the American lexicon, the company is changing how it communicates with consumers and revising its brand logo.

CINCINNATI — Leaving the iconic Times Square clean and sparkling is a huge job, but somebody's got to do it. A 25-person "Mr. Clean Team" worked alongside the New York City Department of Sanitation and the Times Square Alliance on Jan. 1 to give the area a thorough scrub down following the massive New Year's celebration and they had some help thanks to one of Procter & Gamble's newest products. 

Supermodel Gisele Bündchen’s flowing mane will be seen a lot in the coming year as Procter & Gamble signed the Brazilian beauty to serve as the worldwide representative for its Pantene hair care brand.