News

New York City -- Iconix Brand Group said it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire The Sharper Image brand and intellectual property assets for $65.6 million in cash.

Iconix purchased Sharper Image from a joint venture led by Gordon Brothers Group, Hilco Consumer Capital, and Bluestar Alliance. Sharper Image products are sold nationwide at department and specialty stores and direct to consumer through the Sharper Image catalog and e-commerce website, sharperimage.com

AUSTIN, Texas — Whole Foods is taking the opportunity to reach out to its Jewish consumers by reminding them that it has a number of kosher-certified items for Hannukah, which begins Dec. 20.

The retailer is touting its availability of whole organic turkeys, pumpkin puree and roasted chestnuts to latkes, matzo meal and Hanukkah gelt (chocolate coins).

Specifically Whole Foods is offering:

New York City -- A report released Friday by Thomson Reuters and the University of Michigan found that consumer confidence in the United States rose unexpectedly in October, a signal that an economic recovery process may still be intact.

The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan final index of consumer sentiment climbed to 60.9 from 59.4 in September, beating Bloomberg News economists’ projections of a drop to 58.

The preliminary reading for the month was 57.5.

NEW YORK — MG Icon, the joint venture among Iconix Brand Group Inc., Madonna and Guy Oseary announced that that it is looking for the next stars of the national marketing campaign for Macy's exclusive Material Girl brand. The "Lucky Stars" model search will launch on Wednesday, Nov. 2 at Macy's Herald Square in New York and will culminate on Nov. 21 online at www.materialgirlcollection.com.

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.

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.

Newark, N.J. -- A report released Friday by the Journal of Commerce/PIERS showed that U.S. toy imports dropped 9% year-over-year in September, as the country's retailers apparently chose caution heading into the 2011 holiday season.

The drop in container volume, most of it from China, was the eighth straight for toys coming into the United States and a strong sign that the nation's stores are concerned with figures showing waning consumer confidence and opting to keep inventories lean rather than face deep-discount sales.

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Office Depot announced that it has released its third annual Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) catalog, which highlights select HUB suppliers and an assortment of more than 1,600 items ranging from safety and medical supplies to staplers and technology products.

The HUB catalog features Office Depot’s complete assortment of products sold by HUB vendors and is available to Office Depot’s Business Solutions Division (BSD) customers.