In-Store Media

Specialty athletic retailer The Finish Line Inc. is trying to reposition its brand with a new initiative that cuts across channels. Called “Epic Finish,” Finish Line says the repositioning goes beyond a typical marketing campaign.

Staples is bucking the Black Thursday trend by making a statement, literally, about closing its stores on Thanksgiving Day in order to allow its customers, employees and their families to enjoy the holiday.

The retailer issued a statement on Thursday saying that despite being open on Thanksgiving Day the past two years, this year it says customers and employees should have the chance to stay home with family and friends. Stores will open at 6 a.m. on Black Friday.

It’s been a busy fall for hip eyewear marketer Warby Parker.

The company opened its first permanent location in Washington, D.C., in the Georgetown section.

The 1,230-sq.-ft. store features Warby Parker’s signature classic library design, with custom brass library lamps, suspended globe lighting, chevron wood flooring, walnut shelving, and banquette seating for reading and relaxing.

Kohl’s is testing small cafes at two locations in the Milwaukee area, Fortune reported. The pilot is the latest in a series of in-store customer enhancements.

Pink will prevail at Macy’s this month when the retailer launches an omnichannel campaign to raise funds for the fight against breast cancer.

The retailer has joined forces with the Pink Pony Fund, the Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation’s initiative in the fight against cancer, to offer a special collection of merchandise that transforms Polo Ralph Lauren shops into Pink Pony destinations in 48 Macy’s locations across the country and at macys.com/pink.

Another iconic U.S. brand has opened its own freestanding store. Ice hockey equipment giant Bauer Hockey, founded in 1927, made its brick-and-mortar debut, in Burlington, Massachusetts. The 20,000-sq.-ft. store, called

Sports Authority is putting its philanthropic focus on helping disabled children and adults enjoy more therapeutic recreation, competition and adaptive sports.

The retailer announced Wednesday that it will collect point-of-sale donations at Sports Authority locations nationwide to support the National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD) throughout the month of October.

Nordstrom will debut several new features when it opens on October 2 in Minnetonka, Minn., including “girlfriend” fitting rooms, which offer more space so that friends can try items on in the same room, and a beauty format that allows customers to select items from store shelves themselves, reports the Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Jounal.

For store photos, click here.

Big Lots is giving customers a chance to support a cause likely to appeal to a large part of its core market: pediatric health care. Customers will have a chance to donate in-store at all 1,464 store locations and online to support Nationwide Children's Hospital. The program will run through Oct. 31 with 100% of the proceeds raised going to support Nationwide Children's.

Most consumers would prefer to buy products from nearby stores. Shoe Carnival Inc., an Evansville, Indiana-based specialty footwear retailer with 404 stores, is responding to that preference with a new local marketing initiative.

Shoe Carnival has implemented the SIM Partners Velocity local marketing automation platform, to scale local search marketing in an effort to drive incremental in-store traffic and sales, as well as improve the overall customer experience.