Marketing Tactics

Davenport, Iowa -- Department store chain Von Maur said Thursday that it has opened a 4,000-sq.-ft. Dry Goods store at Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines, Iowa – the specialty retailer’s first location in the state and its eighth overall.

The concept, which centers around contemporary women's clothing and accessories, is strategically growing; the plan, said the company, is to have a nationwide presence. It recently launched its online business at Drygoodsusa.com.

PAWTUCKET, R.I. — Hasbro has been named as one of America’s most community-minded companies. Hasbro was selected in the top 10 by "The Civic 50," the first comprehensive ranking of S&P 500 corporations that best use their time, talent, and resources to improve the quality of life in the communities where they do business. This list also includes companies such as IBM, Citi and AT&T.

DALLAS — Zale Corp. has partnered with Shaquille O'Neal for a new, exclusive collection of men’s jewelry.

The Shaquille O’Neal Collection will offer a variety of men’s pendants, rings and bracelets. The collection will be offered exclusively in select Zale stores throughout the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico and online at Zales.com/shaq, just in time for holiday gift giving.

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. announced a partnership with CNET – a top website for consumer electronics and tech news – to provide guests with CNET Editors’ Picks for Target, in time for the holiday season. The collaboration is part of a larger, ongoing partnership between Target and CNET.

SAN FRANCISCO — Williams-Sonoma has launched a new, direct-to-consumer brand, Mark and Graham, which specializes in personalized gifts and accessories.

The Mark and Graham line will feature home decor, small leather goods and seasonal items that can be personalized with a choice of more than 50 custom monograms and creative type treatments. The brand will offer its products through an exclusive direct mail catalog and an e-commerce website Markandgraham.com.

Seattle -- Nordstrom reported third-quarter net earnings of $146 million, up 15% from $127 million for the same quarter last year. Its results were slightly below analysts’ expectations.

The company said that its third quarter same-store sales, which reflected a timing shift that moved a week of the company’s important Anniversary Sale event into August this year, increased 10.7%. Top-performing merchandise categories included men’s shoes, men’s apparel and kids’ apparel.

New York -- The National Retail Federation on Wednesday said it looked forward to continuing to work with President Obama and the new Congress toward the goal of putting Americans back to work and ensuring that the nation’s economy remains the strongest in the world.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears Holdings is touting its affordable and exclusive lines from and partnerships with celebrity designers Sandra Lee, Jaclyn Smith and Ty Pennington to give it an edge this holiday season.

Kmart, along with Sandra Lee and Jaclyn Smith, is inviting consumers to "decorate it forward" -- spread holiday cheer by sharing the gift of decorating and entertaining with family, friends and those in need. Decorating tips and inspiration to help others can be found www.kmart.com/DecorateItForward.