Toys “R” Us Flagship Store Opens In NYC
Toys “R” Us has opened its international flagship store in New York City's Times Square. “Our Toys “R” Us Times Square store encompasses our strategic vision of renewing the company’s growth heritage over the next few years,” said John Eyler, Chairman and CEO. “We are bringing together the best in theatrical retailing into a specialty, shop-oriented environment.”
The centerpiece of Toys “R” Us Times Square is the 60-foot-tall indoor Ferris Wheel. The store's entire façade is made of glass panels which reveal an expansive scrolling billboard system that unveils timed toy and branding messages for the 1.5 million guests who travel through Times Square every day. The billboard, consisting of 165 six-foot by five-foot scrolling panels, changes appearance in seconds. In addition to the large external billboard system, the store also boasts the Geoffreytron, a 20-foot LED screen that offers entertainment from toy trivia to videos of the latest toys.
The international flagship store houses more than 20 feature attractions, which include: a 4,000-sq.-ft., two-story, contemporary Barbie Dollhouse with its own staircase, elevator and the latest in Barbie merchandise and fashions. At the Jurassic Park Exhibit, there is a 5-ton, 20-foot high and 34-foot long animatronic T-Rex dinosaur with a mighty roar and realistic moves. In the E.T. Shop, there is an animatronic 42-inch tall E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial-complete with a glowing heart, nodding head, blinking eyes and finger pointing “home” to his 1,600-pound light-flashing spacecraft hovering overhead. The Candy Land Shop is like walking into an actual version of this favorite children’s board game with innovative life-size candy sculptures amongst the sweets that are displayed. Guests can take a shopping break at the “Pepsi Taste Station,” an interactive refreshment center.
Home Depot & ServiceMaster To Pilot Home Services Program
The Home Depot is teaming with The ServiceMaster Co. to test the sale of a wide range of co-branded residential maintenance and repair services to its retail customer base.
ServiceMaster boasts a strong portfolio of recognized home services including professional lawn, tree and shrub care, landscape installation, termite and pest control, plumbing and drain cleaning, carpet and upholstery cleaning and home warranties. These services complement Home Depot's existing offering of product installation and home improvement services.
“This partnership creates new channels of distribution,” said Jonathan Ward, CEO of ServiceMaster. “Consumers will soon be able to conveniently purchase our high quality home services from a Home Depot store.”
The program will be promoted through kiosks, signage and promotional activities.
Hoover, Lysol And Old English Brands Team For Strategic Alliance
The Hoover Co. and Reckitt Benckiser have entered a strategic alliance for the joint development and distribution of cleaning systems incorporating Hoover equipment and Reckitt Benckiser household cleaning products.
The first result of the alliance is a new product category that teams the Hoover brand with special formulas of LYSOL brand disinfectants and OLD ENGLISH brand wood care products.
Javed Ahmed, President, Reckitt Benckiser North America Household, said, “By leveraging each others’ strengths, this alliance provides both companies with new product opportunities and potential incremental business.”
Payless Gift Cards Available At Walgreens
Payless ShoeSource has formed an agreement with Walgreens that will make Payless gift cards available in more than 3,500 Walgreens stores. This is the first time that Payless gift cards have been available through another retailer. The partnership is expected to broaden Payless’ reach in the marketplace, and to drive more traffic into its 4,900 stores.
The gift card initiative is part of Payless’ new corporate strategy that focuses on partnership sales and distribution programs to supplement the footwear retailer’s traditional direct-to-consumer sales approach. Payless gift cards, available in $10 and $20 denominations, will be part of Walgreens in-store p.o.p. displays.
Good Guys Opens New Flagship Location
Good Guys has opened a new flagship location in Los Angeles that will serve as a prototype for future Good Guys locations. The new flagship features theme-based lifestyle imagery, original fixture designs and many different interactive displays. In-depth information is available on virtually every product.
Cathy Stauffer, Exec. V.P., Merchandising & Advertising, Good Guys, said the new store “represents a dramatic departure from traditional consumer electronics merchandising. By making products more inviting to customers and easier to understand through high-impact graphics, detailed product information and interactive displays in an open, sales-assisted environment, Good Guys is taking the complexity out of shopping for entertainment electronics.”
Sears Appliance & Electronics Stores Open
Sears, Roebuck & Co. recently opened two new 20,000-sq.-ft. test formats offering shoppers the same breadth of appliance and electronics products found in the largest Sears mall-based stores, with the convenience of a neighborhood strip center location. The first two Sears Appliances and Electronics stores have opened in Bolingbrook, IL and Mt. Prospect, IL. “Our appliance customer tells us that she wants more shopping convenience, so we’re testing this format in off-mall, neighborhood locations,” said Lyle Heidemann, President, Hardlines for Sears.
The Sears Appliances and Electronics stores offer a large selection of the top appliance brands; kitchen vignettes that present appliances in a kitchen setting; a new self-serve vacuum cleaner department; and “digital solutions for the home” product displays for home theatre, digital imaging products, pdas, digital cameras and mobile audio.
Lowe’s & Whirlpool Feature Mobile Kitchen
Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse and Whirlpool Corp. have launched a 70-foot, 31-ton, 18 wheeler, featuring the latest in appliance technology and fashionable kitchen design together under one mobile roof. The mobile display includes a complete working kitchen outfitted with Whirlpool brand major appliances and KitchenAid brand portable appliances. The tour will stop at Lowe’s stores to give visitors an opportunity to view state-of-the-art home products in a non-retail environment.
“The Lowe's-Whirlpool Innovation Tour is an extension of the strong alliance between the two companies,” said Tom Sparling, Lowe's Product Marketing Manager. Tom Ellspermann, Director of Sales for Whirlpool said, “Together, we can give consumers the inspiration and the knowledge to make purchases that are not only smart, but will provide good performance and satisfaction for years to come.”
Office Depot Opens Prototype Stores
Office Depot, has opened several new prototype stores designed to offer a more compelling place to shop for office products and services. The new store prototype creates a circular flow of traffic that allows customers to easily see around the store from any one point, and access all areas with ease and convenience.
Prototype store features include: A new Technology Center in the middle of the store that houses the Company’s “Business Solutions Center” to assist customers with technology solutions such as “Build Your Own Computer,” “High Speed Internet Access;” a new Education Center, new 3-D technology enabling customers to configure office furniture; and an enhanced Copy and Print Center. Additionally, the new stores incorporate enhanced signage, reference charts on technology products, and new aisle markers and signage that clearly define product categories.
ING Direct Café Opens With Great Deals On Savings, Loans And Great Coffee
The ING DIRECT Café recently opened in Philadelphia, PA, offering visitors the chance to save money and obtain loans while enjoying a coffee. Visitors can also select from a wide range of ING DIRECT merchandise, relax and read in a comfortable setting or get information about bank products from the Café staff. Customers can surf the Internet for free via onsite computer terminals that are also available for customers to open an account online, check their account status or move funds via the ING DIRECT Web site.
“Our orange ING DIRECT Café is modern, yet designed to be welcoming and comfortable,”said Arkadi Kuhlmann, CEO. “This café allows our customers and guests to visit ING DIRECT, buy a cup of coffee, and learn about the great deals we offer.”
Bank Of America Debuts Talking ATMs
Bank of America has reconfirmed its commitment to the visually impaired community by announcing plans to install more than 7,000 Talking ATMs coast to coast. More than 3,000 talking ATMs are planned by the end of 2002, and the rollout is expected to be complete by the end of 2005.
Bill Raymond, Manager, ATM Channel Strategies & Development at Bank of America, said, “Talking ATMs along with compliant web pages, specialized statements and other initiatives further demonstrate our commitment to serving our customers and how we are embracing ingenuity to make their lives easier.”
Talking ATMs provide audible instructions to people who cannot view information on an ATM screen. The ATMs have audio jacks that deliver spoken instructions through standard headsets to protect the security of users who are blind or have low-vision.
Pokemon Center Opens
Pokemon Center, the new interactive, retail destination in New York’s Rockefeller Center, features interactive gaming environments, free activities and Pokemon merchandise.
Among the features of this one-stop Pokemon destination are: Pokemon Sound and Light Shows-characters dance around the walls depicting the Pokemon Universe. Animatronic Characters-life-size Pokemon characters, guided by computer-controlled motion systems, create a larger-than-life feeling of being within the Pokemon world. Pokemon Trainer Gym-the gym lets visitors try out the latest Pokemon games on both Game Cube and N64 platforms. Each of the game stations features a 42" plasma TV screen. A Trainer Scoreboard lists rankings and depicts photos of players. Pokemon Distributing Machine-Four distributing stations are equipped with large screen displays and docking ports for Game Boy cartridges to swap and receive special Pokemon characters available exclusively at the Pokemon Center. Ultra Pokedex-This interactive database is the knowledge center for the Pokemon world, featuring stats and video images of all 251 characters, and information on store merchandise.
Big Boy Restaurants Debut New Concept
Big Boy Restaurants has unveiled a new concept, Big Boy Original “At The Movies,” located inside the Star Southfield Entertainment Complex in Southfield, Michigan. Big Boy Original “At The Movies” is decorated with a mural of movie legends, and features ‘50s background music.
“This new concept is unlike anything we've ever done,” said Tony Michaels, CEO of Big Boy Restaurants. “We will be closely evaluating it for expansion to other sites.”
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