Marketing Tactics

RICHMOND, Va. — Eight supermarkets in the Richmond, Va., area are using one of the most important parts of the store to promote healthy eating: the checkout lane.

Martin's Food Markets, part of the Ahold USA's Giant-Carlisle chain, announced it had partnered with the Richmond City Health District and Greater Richmond Fit4Kids in launching "Healthy Ideas" checkout lanes at the stores. Items will include fruit, nuts, snack packs from the store's Nature's Promise natural and organic section, nutrition bars and 100% fruit juice.

New York -- Uniqlo will open a location in Westfield Garden State Plaza shopping center, Paramus, N.J., on Sept. 28. The new store will occupy a 43,000-sq.-ft. space with two levels, and feature a separate dedicated entrance and a prominent façade. It will serve as the prototype for Uniqlo’s mall expansion strategy.

Leading up to the opening, beginning Aug. 27 and continuing through Sept. 27, Uniqlo will operate a temporary store at the mall. The pop-up, designed to resemble a futuristic cube, will be located at the food court.

Dallas -- Bennigan's Franchising Co. and Brixmor Property Group announced a strategic partnership to add Bennigan's restaurants nationwide into Brixmor's portfolio of shopping centers.

The partnership will include positioning Bennigan's signs at select existing buildings and pad site locations within the Brixmor portfolio of shopping centers, promoting pre-approved restaurant space and franchise opportunities within the company's targeted growth markets.

The West Coast is getting its first taste of Uniqlo. The Japanese apparel powerhouse has opened a tech-inspired pop-up store, on Post Street in San Francisco. The temporary store will remain open until the end of September, prior to the opening of the company’s Union Square flagship.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Walmart announced it is bringing back layaway a month early this holiday season. The program will be available nationwide Sept. 16 through Dec. 14.

“Last year, millions of Americans relied on layaway at Walmart to provide a great Christmas for their families. Because of their feedback, we're offering the service again this year and making it better than ever," said Duncan Mac Naughton, chief merchandising and marketing officer, Walmart U.S.

Minneapolis -- Caribou Coffee Co. announced it will be expanding its retail and commercial footprint in the Chicagoland area by teaming up with supermarket operator Jewel-Osco, which is part of the Supervalu company.

Caribou Coffee opened its first retail location within Jewel-Osco's Barrington store last week, with plans to introduce two additional coffeehouses in the grocery's Hoffman Estates and Countryside locations in the near future, as well as five additional coffeehouses within Jewel-Osco in 2013.

ST. LOUIS — Pitbull, Brad Paisley, Flo Rida and The All-American Rejects, will be among the musical acts to perform at the Bud Light Port Paradise Music Festival, a private two-day concert event in the Bahamas. The concert will take place at Atlantis in Nassau on Saturday, Nov. 17 and on the private island of Coco Cay on Sunday, Nov. 18. 

WILLMAR, Minn. — Jennie-O Turkey Store has launched its new  and improved turkey bacon. Now available in stores, the product offers delicious bacon flavor and crisp texture, but with significantly less sodium and fat than pork bacon,according to the company.  

The Global Reporting Initiative bestowed its highest accolade on Kimberly-Clark’s 2011 sustainability report.

New York -- The New York Times reported Thursday about Allen Questrom’s on-air visit with CNBC for its Fast Money Halftime Report, during which the former J.C. Penney CEO was very candid about his disapproval of new chief Ron Johnson’s approach to leadership.