Marketing Tactics

H&M plans to hold a ribbon-cutting celebration marking the opening of a 42,000-sq.-ft. store in New York City’s Times Square at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 14. On hand to help light the H&M logo at the top of 4 Times Square will be global superstar Lady Gaga.

Procter & Gamble Canada has announced that Emmy-nominated actress Christina Hendricks will host the fifth annual P&G Beauty & Grooming Awards Dec. 2.

Best known for her portrayal of “Joan Holloway” on AMC’s series “Mad Men,” the former model will grace the stage as P&G celebrates the best Canadian editorial and creative talent in beauty, fashion and grooming. Hendricks joins Nia Vardalos, Queen Latifah, Kim Cattrall and Rob Lowe who have served as previous hosts.

Brown Shoe Company-owned brand Sam Edelman is stepping into the digital arena. The footwear, accessory and soon-to-be apparel brand has launched a dedicated e-commerce site which will allow consumers to purchase online directly from the retailer for the first time.

Games, giveaways, book signings and personalized recommendations will be offered as part of “Discovery Friday,” event Barnes & Noble has planned for November 22 to pre-empt the doorbuster madness that will occur the following week on Black Friday.

Post Foods' Honey Bunches of Oats has enlisted pop duo Domino Saints for its latest ad campaign geared toward Hispanic markets. The pop duo from San Juan, Puerto Rico, collaborated in the exclusive "Smile While You Shake It" music video.

Inspired by samba beats, the song and signature dance incorporate the cereal box and breakfast utensils as percussion instruments. National bilingual media, social media and website (bunchofbeats.com) encourage consumers to upload their own versions of the dance, share them digitally, and be eligible to win prizes.

Fort Worth, Texas -- RadioShack will open its newest Houston location as a concept store on Nov. 9. All concept stores in the company's portfolio feature an upgraded shopping experience, which showcases the company's new look, and incorporates interactive areas designed to help shoppers improve their technology profile.

Some features include:

Atlanta – The Home Depot is taking steps to make amends for a racist tweet it sent from its official account on Nov. 7. The tweet, a promotion aligned with ESPN college football coverage, showed a photo of two African-Americans playing the drums along with a person wearing a gorilla mask and the caption: “Which drummer is not like the others?”

Richfield, Minn. – Best Buy is the latest major retail chain to prepare for an early start to Black Friday. More than 1,000 Best Buy stores in 47 states will open their doors at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving night and stay open till 10 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 29.

Charlotte, N.C. -- Belk stores will open at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. From 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 28 through 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29, stores will offer more than 350 early bird specials while quantities last The promotion will feature hundreds of special deals in every department.

The first 250 customers at each store at the 8 p.m. opening on Thanksgiving will receive a free Belk gift card with a value ranging from $5 to $1,000, and with a guaranteed $1,000 gift card winner in each of the company's 301 stores.

Lakewood, Colo. -- Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage is opening its second store in Idaho, which will be located in Idaho Falls. The store opens for business on Nov. 12.

"We invite the Idaho Falls community to come in see what we're about," said Kemper Isely, Natural Grocers co-president. "While they are here, shoppers can also take part in a free nutritional education seminar- or pick up some practical ideas for healthy eating during one of our free cooking demonstrations."