Mass Merchant

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Dollar General is the overall basket price leader, delivering a substantial savings to value shoppers, according to Kantar Retail's second annual opening price point survey. Walgreens, for the second year, had the most expensive total basket, driven by sharply higher edible and nonedible grocery baskets.

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. — Mars Chocolate already may have unveiled its lineup of new treats for Halloween, Valentine's Day, as well as the winter holiday season, but the company announced new items that will be added to its Easter 2013 lineup.

The new Easter 2013 lineup includes:

•  Snickers Peanut Butter Squared minis;

 

•  Dove Silky Smooth white chocolate eggs;

 

•  Twix minis filled eggs;

New York -- Hennes & Mauritz AB has cut a deal to open in Manhattan’s Times Square, the New York Post reported.

According to the report, H&M will move into the three-floor, 42,510-sq.-ft. space at 4 Times Square that was previously occupied by the restaurant ESPN Zone. The space, which has been vacant for some two years, includes two huge billboards that wrap above the store’s facade along Broadway and West 42nd Street.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Walmart and American Express have teamed up to offer customers an alternative to debit and checking accounts. The new service, called Bluebird, is designed to provide financial services to customers who often do not have traditional bank accounts. It will allow for deposits by smartphone and mobile bill paying, with no minimum balance or monthly, annual or overdraft fees.

NEW YORK — The first of Moose Toys anticipated Series Three Trash Pack Toys arrived at Toys"R"Us TImes Square this weekend at special event to welcome the toys arrival. The third collection of the popular line of garbage-themed collectible toys is available starting this week exclusively at Toys“R”Us stores nationwide and online at Toysrus.com/TrashPack.

Cambridge, Mass. -- Dollar General is the overall basket price leader delivering a substantial savings to value shoppers, according to Kantar Retail’s second annual opening price point (OPP) survey. Walgreens, for the second year, had the most expensive total basket, driven by sharply higher edible and non-edible grocery baskets  

A small group of Walmart employees at a Southern California store staged a one day walk out some have been quick to label as a strike. The New York Times details what happened and Walmart’s response. Click here.　

New York -- J.C. Penney Co. has partnered with Giggle, a New York-based upscale baby specialty store chain, to debut an exclusive collection of Giggle-branded merchandise next fall, Crain’s New York reported.

The new line is one of the many branded in-store shops that are now in the works at J.C. Penney.