Marketing Tactics

NASHVILLE, Tenn.  — Nashville Apparel Company announced that it is re-introducing its Duck Head brand to the retail market in time for the back-to-school season.

Originally founded in 1865 by Nashville-based O'Brien Brothers, Duck Head was popular in the 1980s and 90s.

Discount grocer Aldi has made its U.S. mall debut, opening in Westfield Chicago Ridge, an 800,000-sq.-ft. enclosed shopping center in suburban Chicago Ridge, Ill. The mall is a property of The Westfield Group.

Brightly lit and colorful, the 20,000-sq.-ft. Aldi resembles a prototypical Aldi in most respects.

CINCINNATI — Kroger has released its fifth annual sustainability report.

 Some of the highlights noted in the report include:

• Kroger stores reduced overall energy consumption by 30% since 2000. 

• Company-wide, including all facilities, Kroger has saved more than 2.2 billion kilowatt hours.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway celebrated National Picnic Day on Monday by breaking the Guinness World Record for longest picnic table and debuting its new private-label brand.

The record-setting picnic, held at the Marina Green in San Francisco, featured Safeway's Open Nature, a newly launched line of all-natural foods that includes meat and poultry, bread, yogurt, ice cream and salad dressing products, that were prepared by Food Network chef Tyler Florence. Safeway also succeeded at building a table exceeding 305 ft.

Cincinnati -- In its fifth annual sustainability report, released Tuesday, The Kroger Co. said it continues to meet its benchmarks, including reducing in-store energy consumption by 30%.

"In 2010, Kroger stores saved enough energy to power the city of Fort Worth for a full year,” said Rodney McMullen, president and COO of Kroger. “We sent less waste to landfills, recycled more plastic, and provided our customers with five million more reusable bags.”

NEW YORK — Private-label sales across all three major retail channels reached new highs in 2010, according the Private Label Manufacturers Association.

STOCKHOLM — H&M announced that it is collaborating with Versace for its autumn 2011 designer collection. Designed by its creative director Donatella Versace, the exclusive collection will look back to the vibrant heritage of the brand, full of leather, print, colour and exuberance in exclusive materials at fantastic H&M prices, according to the company. The collection will include ranges for women, men and selected pieces for the home. It will be available from Nov. 17 in around 300 stores worldwide, as well as on-line.

Boston -- A survey released Tuesday by the Boston Consulting Group found that a growing number of consumers around the world are growing more anxious about the future, and are planning to reduce or maintain -- but not increase -- their spending.