News

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Heineken USA has appointed a new senior director of regional marketing.

In his new role, Darrell Johnson will work with brand marketing, trade marketing activation and the regional marketing directors to develop a strategy and process for local programming that ensures consistent execution against national brand strategy at the local level, the company said.

Johnson will report to Heineken VP trade marketing and sales strategy Kheri Tillman.

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.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target is getting an early jump on Black Friday this year, announcing that it will open its stores at midnight on Nov. 25. 

“The holidays bring hectic schedules and tight budgets, so extending store hours and offering lots of additional ways to save makes Target a great choice for affordable, one-stop holiday shopping,” said Tina Schiel, EVP stores for Target.

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.

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.

By Craig Johnson, [email protected]

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

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.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Winn-Dixie Stores announced that it is offering special bundles for tailgate, school or office parties, and for trick-or-treating to help customers get ready for Halloween. The grocer said it also is holding special pumpkin-decorating workshops for children this Saturday and Sunday afternoons at select stores. Any child visiting a Winn-Dixie store while wearing a Halloween costume on Saturday, Sunday or Monday will receive a fresh-baked cookie from the Winn-Dixie bakery.

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — OfficeMax's sales were down for the third quarter, but the company managed to deliver higher net income growth during a period of executive transitions and a tough economy.

OfficeMax announced that total sales were $1.8 billion in the third quarter of 2011, a decrease of 2.1% from the third quarter of 2010.  For the third quarter of 2011, OfficeMax reported net income of $21.5 million, or 25 cents per diluted share, compared with $20 million, or 23 cents per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2010.