News

Talk about an appropriate spokesperson. Monster, a leading manufacturer of headphones and personal audio equipment, has enlisted retired basketball superstar Dr. Shaquille O'Neal to endorse the company’s products across multiple categories.

"I am excited that we are collaborating with Shaq to market Monster's products. His bigger than life personality, coupled with his keen marketing experience and sense is a great fit for the Monster brand," said head ‘Monster’ " Noel Lee.

By Christian Davies, [email protected]

Meet the most complex shopper of all time – Generation Z. By 2020, today’s 14-19 year olds (Gen Z) will be the largest group of consumers worldwide, making up 40% of the U.S., Europe and the BRIC countries, and 10% in the rest of the world. The needs and behaviors of this group will influence the future of mainstream retail.

Target created A Bullseye View a little more than two years ago as an innovative digital platform to achieve a deeper level of engagement with those who have an interest in all things Target. Billed as a behind-the-scenes magazine, A Bullseye View was recently relaunched to incorporate new features and functionality to build upon its original mission.

HSNi reported impressive financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2013. Net income soared about 137% to $42 million, compared to $17.7 million in the same quarter a year prior.

In addition, net sales grew almost 3%, to $789.9 million from $778.8 million. The elimination of a roughly $18 million loss related to debt extinguishment recorded in the third quarter of fiscal 2012 drove much of the quarterly net income growth. Mindy Grossman, CEO of HSN, also cited digital and mobile growth as boosting the company’s overall performance.

New York -- A marketing stunt ended up driving hundreds of visitors to entertainment and events retailer Make Meaning’s location on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Inspired by the creativity of the infamous and elusive guerilla street artist Banksy, whose handiwork has been popping up around New York City for the past month, the CEO and CMO of Make Meaning arranged for renowned New York street artist Alex Gardega to spray paint the façade of the building with a Banksy-esque silhouette in the middle of the night.

Kimberly-Clark and the National Hockey League have renewed and enhanced their multiyear partnership in North America. In Canada, K-C launched its Home Team Advantage retail activation program this season with participation by their portfolio of brands including Cottonelle, Huggies, Kleenex, Scott and Pull-ups.

Framingham, Mass. – Holiday shoppers are seeking omni-channel solutions. According to a new national survey from Staples, two-thirds of consumers say they are equally as likely to purchase gifts online as they are to shop in-store.

The Staples study also reveals that 87% of gift shoppers admit they’ve had problems buying presents during the holiday season and 63% of gift givers report that nearly half of the people on their list are difficult to buy for, causing stress and frustration.

Other findings include:

Westborough, Mass. -- BJ's Wholesale Club is spreading its Black Friday deals across an entire week (Sunday, Nov. 24 through Sunday, Dec. 1), excluding Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov. 28. The retailer says it is offering more than twice as many Black Friday deals this year as it did last year.