Entertainment Tie-ins / Licensing

A 60,000-sq.-ft. Crayola Experience has opened at Mall of America, giving the massive shopping center yet another experiential component to generate traffic.
 
The Crayola Experience is a family attraction that features 25 hands-on activities inspired by Crayola products and technologies and there is also The Crayola Store offering the world's largest selection of Crayola products and unique souvenirs.
 

Retail has been the foundation of shopping centers throughout their existence, but new entertainment concepts are making inroads in traditional retail venues.
 

The Disney Springs collection of retail and entertainment offerings in Lake Buena Vista, FL is home to the newest UGG brand flagship store.

Ikea Canada is opening in the heart of downtown Toronto—in the form of a food focused pop-up shop that will be open from May 13 to May 26. More than 50 Ikea products will be available for purchase, including both household accessories and food items.

The world’s largest ice cream manufacturer has opened its first U.S. storefront, a pop-up in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood.

Unilever is opening custom-dipping shops for its Magnum Ice Cream brand around the world, and the SoHo outpost is its first U.S. storefront. (Unilever’s other ice-cream brands include Ben & Jerry’s, Fudgsicle and Klondike.)

As more members of the millennial generation reach the age where they start settling down and buying homes, Lowe’s wants to be sure it reaches them in a format they find relevant.

Shopper center operators have a new ally in their efforts to drive traffic called Cowboys Saloon: American Bar & Grill.

Cowboys is a new food and entertainment concept billed as a destination restaurant and country-western venue that is looking to grow rapidly the next few years. Founded six years ago, Cowboys is on a growth trajectory to operate more than 20 locations by 2018, up from the seven locations that will be open by year end.

Grand Rapids, Michigan-based discount retailer Meijer is giving customers the chance to help create a TV commercial, and gaining some free social promotion in the process.

In a new contest, Meijer is asking shoppers to submit photos showing how the retailer supports their “home team,” which could range from a local Little League team to a Major League Baseball franchise, through an application on its Facebook page. Ten winners will receive $100 Meijer gift cards, and all photos have the chance to appear in the commercial.

Skechers retail stores could be in for a sales boost later this year as pro football Hall of Famer Howie Long becomes the newest member of the footwear brand’s endorsement roster.
 
Skechers, operator of 1,340 stores, inked Long for a multi-year deal that involves TV, print and digital components through 2018. Long is best known today as a game day commentator of Fox’s NFL broadcasts, but prior to that he was one of the league’s most dominating defensive linemen during a 12 year career with the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders.
 

A shakeup in the executive ranks is reportedly occurring at Kohl’s.

According to AdAge, Will Setliff, executive VP of marketing at the department store chain, is resigning his position the week of April 11. There has been no press release from Kohl’s or Setliff and surprisingly little coverage of his career shift outside of AdAge.