Winter Holidays

Wayne, N.J. -- Toys "R" Us holiday plans mix technology — QR — codes and retro ads that speak to the company’s heritage.

As part of its 2011 holiday advertising campaign, the chain will air a series of themed television commercials designed to showcase the company's toy expertise and its strengths as a specialty retailer. The commercials include two ads from its archives which celebrate the heritage of the brand. Another group of ads feature products exclusive to Toys “R” Us.

Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-based Taubman Centers has unveiled a comprehensive holiday program for its Mall at Short Hills, in Short Hills, N.J.

From now through the end of the 2011 holiday season, the mall – which features Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and 160 retailers – is showcasing the season with such offerings as an Ice Palace, a free, multi-sensory exhibit with falling snow, interactive elements, footage of arctic animals and landscapes, an Ice Princess and a visit to Santa Claus.

Citigroup found that toy prices at both Walmart and Target fell by 4% and that the price gap between the two retailers on toys has narrowed since its first survey.

According to Ciitgroup, retail prices of a basket of “hot” toys for holiday 2011 are now 30 bps cheaper at Walmart than at Target, compared with 50 bps cheaper at Walmart in its previous survey. However, taking into account Target’s 5% rewards discount, the basket of toys became 470 bps more expensive at Walmart, compared with 450 bps more expensive in the previous survey.

WAYNE, N.J. — Toys“R”Us announced that it has established business operations in Poland and plans to open its first store in the country at the end of November. The first Toys“R”Us store in Poland will open in the country’s capital city of Warsaw just in time for the holiday shopping season, with several additional locations slated to open in major cities throughout the country in 2012, the company reported.

NEW YORK — Despite concerns about the economy and rising household expenses, nearly 3-out-of-5 consumers (59%) will put aside economic worries and spend the same or more this holiday season, according to Deloitte’s 26th annual survey of holiday spending intentions and trends. While this is a slight decline from 2010, it represents an eight percentage point increase from 2009.

New York City -- The U.S. retail industry will perform in line with sluggish U.S. GDP growth through 2012 as persistent unemployment, stock market volatility and economic gloom weigh on consumer confidence and spending, according to a new report by Moody's Investors Service.
 

Minneapolis -- Best Buy Co. announced Tuesday that it will waive the minimum purchase limitations and offer free shipping on its complete inventory of 400,000 website items from Nov. 1 through Dec. 27.

"Consumers are looking for value, service and savings this year, and our goal is to provide them with convenient, creative and less costly ways to make the holiday shopping experience more enjoyable," said Barry Judge, executive VP and CMO, in a statement.

WAYNE, N.J. — Toys“R”Us announced it will once again offer 10% back on purchases made by new and current members of its loyalty program, Rewards“R”Us, this holiday season. Beginning Sunday, Oct. 30 through Christmas Eve, Rewards“R”Us members can earn 10% back in “R”Us Dollars for every dollar spent on qualifying purchases. “R”Us Dollars earned will be delivered to members via e-mail in January and can be used toward savings on future in-store purchases, the company said.

NEW YORK — Macy's announced that this week it will debut the new Giambattista Valli collection, the fourth in the retailer's series of limited-edition, designer capsules created exclusively for its Impulse department. 

Valli's first-ever collaboration will bring ultra-feminine, jet-set style to the affordable fashion arena for the holiday season, Macy's said. Giambattista Valli for Impulse only at Macy's" will be sold in approximately 225 Macy's stores nationwide and on macys.com/impulse beginning Oct. 26.

New York City -- Apple brands dominate the youth market, and account for the top rankings in computers, tablets and mobile phones, according to the 2012 Harris Poll Youth EquiTrend study by Harris Interactive. The annual study tracks the brands that Americans aged 13 to 24 prefer. It estimates that

With young Americans expected to spend $211 billion in 2012, knowing which brands they favor will help corporate America prepare for the upcoming holiday season, according to the survey.