Marketing Tactics

WAYNE, N.J. — Toys"R'Us will be the exclusive retailer of an assortment of toys inspired by Happy Feet 2, RetailingToday.com learned Friday.

Toys available only at Toys"R"Us include talking plush dolls from Thinkway Toys. The 12-inch stuffed birds say phrases from the film when their left wings are pressed. Characters, which are sold separately include Erik, Ramon, Sven and Atticus.

Menomonee Falls, Wis. -- A Friday report in Advertising Age said that Kohl’s Corp. has added $30 million to its fourth quarter marketing spend in order to pad its efforts to garner holiday shopping dollars.

In 2010, the retailer spent $113 million on measured media in the fourth quarter, according to the report, and will spend about $143 million this year. Annually, Kohl’s spends $340 million.

By Dan Pahomi and Peter Leith, [email protected]

Promotions are a key element in any retailer’s arsenal of tools to help drive customer traffic. They are especially important during the holiday season. And, in an economy still fraught with uncertainty, some customers are hardwired only to purchase products on sale. Promotions are crucial for retailers to communicate when new products are available and when they are offering discounts for the items their shoppers want to buy.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target, along with The Heart of America Foundation, The Mission Continues and hundreds of volunteers,  announced that it will celebrate the unveiling of newly renovated libraries at Jack Kimbrough Elementary in San Diego on Nov. 10, and Camp Allen Elementary in Norfolk, Va. on Nov. 11. The unveiling events will honor Veterans Day and mark the conclusion of the 2011 Target School Library Makeover program, which included the transformation of 42 elementary school libraries.

Menomonee Falls, Wis. -- Kohl’s Corp. reported Thursday that profit for the quarter ended Oct. 29 rose 20% to $211 million, compared with $176 million in the year-ago period.

The retailer cited cost cuts and strong demand for exclusive brands for the strong performance, which matched Wall Street expectations.

Overall, there was a slight upward trend in both size of inserts and circulation, with a 5% increase in the number of pages per insert and 2 % increase in the average number of inserts across markets.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores said Thursday that it will kick off the holiday season at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving with three Black Friday sale events.

Black Friday circulars were released Thursday via Facebook and walmart.com to promote the early savings, which include specials on electronics and toys.

"Our customers told us they would rather stay up late to shop than get up early, so we're going to hold special events on Thanksgiving and Black Friday," said Duncan Mac Naughton, chief merchandising officer, Walmart U.S.

SECAUCUS, N.J. — The 2011 Kosherfest confirmed what many in the industry already know — kosher products are in high demand by a growing number of both Jewish and non-Jewish consumers.