What recession? If the sales being rung up at value-priced retailers like Target and Kohl's are any indication, a bad economy has been doing them good.

Kohl's recently reported that its total sales for a four-week period ending August 29 increased nearly 8% from the same period a year ago. Year to date, total sales have increased 9%. The chain's home business was particularly strong.

Following Target's strategy, Kohl's has launched exclusive partnerships and brands with a number of high-profile names. The chain carries Candies (including the exclusive Britney Spears for Candies collection, above), Chaps, Elle, Simply Vera by Vera Wang, and Rachel Ray, for example. Kohl's also has a deal with Aldo to produce an exclusive line of shoes to be available next year.Continue reading...

Often mistaken as New York City's iconic marketing campaign, the state of New York's famed I Love New York tourism campaign has unveiled its first commercial since 2006, featuring Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Rachel Ray and Mark Sanchez. Click here to watch the full spot, and catch Baldwin's standalone pitch above. Milton Glaser's logo-that-launched-1,000-products (right) was introduced in 1977, also during a recession.Continue reading...

The venerable brand Macy's is making a full-on digital push. Recent research has indicated that its consumers want more than just fashion advice – they want “put it all together” tips. How, for example, to create the right outfit for the daily challenges life serves up – “fashion editing” is the consumer’s latest desire. Macy’s is executing this new strategy two ways: in-store, with mannequins, and online, with celeb webisodes.

“You’ll see a lot of it in store. You’ll see a lot of new mannequins present – mannequins that show you an entire look, tables that show the accessories that go with a certain outfit. It’s not just about an outfit anymore – it’s about the handbag, the hat and the accessories that go with it,” said Martine Reardon, EVP, Marketing, Macy’s.Continue reading...