Marketing Tactics

Au Bon Pain is updating its brand experience with a new customer-centric design that gives the store a more distinct personality. It also makes the space easier to navigate, with the layout redesigned to speed service.

“We’re taking the customer experience to the next level,” said Sue Morelli, CEO for Au Bon Pain, which operates 318 locations in the United States and internationally. “The response we’ve been getting to our new prototype has validated our decision to accelerate our growth, including going to new markets nationally.”

CHICAGO — The private-label trend at retail continues to gain steam as Supervalu CEO Craig Herkert shared plans last month at its annual shareholders meeting to expand Supervalu's private-label program now through February 2012.

By Wil Putt, [email protected]

LAS VEGAS — Pacific Entertainment, creators of the Baby Genius brand of musical edu-tainment for infants and toddlers, announced that Alfred Kahn will join the company as an exclusive consultant in the children's preschool and education markets. 

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — HSN announced that it will offer an exclusive collection of home decor from award-winning architectural and interior designer and design television host Vern Yip.

The HSN exclusive Vern Yip Home collection will feature his signature, unique design lotus and medallion (a symbol of his family's history and design aesthetic) available on a bedding line, the company reported. The collection will also include furniture, window treatments, rugs, lighting and decor items.

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. — Children's interest are constantly changing, but right now Justin Bieber is tops with kids. According to a May NPD Group survey, when asked what they thought the kids they know would identify as the hottest new thing these days, 10% of participants said Justin Bieber. 

Though Bieber topped the list in May, he garnered a higher percentage (14%) when the survey was first conducted in February, indicating that interest in the pop singer could be waning. 

LOS ANGELES — Back-to-school shopping will likely take place even later this year than in 2010, as consumers hope to score last-minute deals, the latest forecast from PriceGrabber reveals. PriceGrabber, a part of Experian, found that 95% of consumers are planning to use some sort of money saving technique when back-to-school shopping, and they plan to start shopping later in 2011 than they did in 2010.

Stevens, Pa. -- A survey released Tuesday by Unity Marketing revealed the list of retailers frequented by the most wealthy American shoppers – those earning $250,000 and up.

Barneys New York, Nordstrom and Bergdorf Goodman ranked as the top luxury department stores among the ultra-affluent in the Luxury Report 2011. However, the survey also uncovered signs that the wealthiest consumers are slowing their pace of shopping in these stores.