Target, Inc.

By Jake Weatherly, [email protected]

New York -- Paragon Theaters has announced plans to bring a 10-screen theater to Posner Commons in Davenport, Fla. The theater will serve as the entertainment anchor for the 630,000-sq.-ft. regional power center, offering Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Best Buy and other. Paragon said the new theater would open in the summer of 2014.

National retail tenants at Posner Commons include Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Best Buy and others.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who has some pretty vivid memories of back- to-school shopping: getting dragged out alongside my mother to buy new outfits and a few No. 2 pencils. Now, it seems like everyone in the retail world is finding a way to join the party.

LAKEVILLE-MIDDLEBORO, Mass. — Ocean Spray Cranberries has appointed Thano Chaltas to the newly created role of global CMO. He will report directly to Ken Romanzi, SVP and COO of Ocean Spray Brands.

Chaltas will be responsible for global brand development, and a part of the grower-owned cooperative’s leadership team. 

Boston -- Although Target has narrowed Walmart’s basket advantage, the world’s largest retailer continues to demonstrate its price advantage, according to Kantar Retail’s semi-annual pricing study.

With an overall branded basket 2.4% less expensive than Target’s, Walmart’s overall price gap has still remained within a few percentage points of Target’s, although its lead has narrowed since the last iteration of the study. Importantly, Target’s edible basket was within cents of Walmart’s.

Given the choice of shopping at only one retailer for the rest of their lives, millennial parents chose Walmart over several other popular retailers.
The study of the millenials, those age 25 to 34, was conducted by Vision Critical, and not surprisingly showed the demographic group changed purchasing habits and behaviors after starting a family.

Kansas City -- A new study of the millennial generation shows that many 25- to 34-year-old shoppers change their purchasing habits and behaviors after they start their families.

More of a mass market future could be in the cards for the Oreck Corporation following acquisition of its assets this week by TTI Group’s Royal Appliance subsidiary, which manufactures well known home improvement and housewares brands.

Oreck filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year and this week the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Tennessee approved the sale of its assets to Royal Appliance for a little more than $17 million and the assumption of certain debt obligations.

LOS ANGELES — Virtual Piggy has integrated its youth-friendly payment system to Innovation First International, the company behind the award-winning Hexbug Micro Robotic Creatures and Vex Robotics product lines.

Innovation First International is a technology and engineering company that has launched several robotics product lines spanning the consumer toy, STEM education and business-to-business markets.

Minneapolis -- Target is making a concerted effort to pick up business from college students with a multifaceted omni-channel marketing campaign. At the center of the campaign is the Bullseye University Digital Experience, a new live online experience featuring popular YouTube personalities in a digital dorm. From July 15-18, college kids will be able to shop products from the digital dorm rooms, interact with the YouTube personalities, enter to win prizes and participate in live-streamed events such as concerts and workout sessions.