Kohl’s, Macy’s, Target in Black Friday mode

Home Textiles Today Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 10/28/2010 12:29:07 PM

New York – Kohl’s Corp., Macy’s Inc. and Target Corp. today each released their respective sales, promotions and marketing plans for the upcoming holiday as they look to the shopping season’s kickoff on Black Friday.

Menomonee Falls, Wis.-based Kohl’s is launching its 2010 integrated holiday campaign emphasizing “an unparalleled combination of even more incredible savings opportunities than last year,” the 49-state, 1,089-unit mid-tier department store chain said.

Kohl’s “key messages” for the season will be “Give, Save and Be Merry,” “Give, Save and Enjoy Easy Shopping” and “Give, Save and Save Again with the Kohl’s Charge” – all of which are set to be communicated across multiple mediums, including print advertising, direct mail, e-mail, digital and social media, Kohls.com, television, radio, in-store, “and – new for the holiday 2010 season – mobile access to Kohls.com,” the retailer said.

The new Kohls.com Mobile allows the retailer’s customers to shop the store online using their mobile devices for the first time.

 “We expect that consumers will take a responsible, resourceful approach to their holiday gifting this year as the economic environment remains uncertain,” said Kevin Mansell, Kohl’s chairman, president and ceo.

Also for this holiday, Kohl’s said it will be offering more “Power Hour” and “Early Bird” shopping time frames versus last year, as well as a bevy of other new conveniences for shoppers.

Cincinnati-based Macy’s is taking “a stepped-up approach to holiday shopping” this year, the department store said, with new gift-giving options such as Macy’s first-ever “Gift Shops” and “Celebrity Gift Shops” as well as the new International Gifting Center, “featuring presents with purpose.”

In 400 Macy’s stores nationwide and on macys.com, new main floor “Gift Shops” will offer limited-edition gifts exclusive to Macy’s, including techie gadgets, apparel and accessories, pet accessories, beauty finds, and even “chic home goods.”

 “This holiday season we’ve acknowledged our customers’ need for grab-and-go shopping and taken the idea of gift giving to the next level with branded shops featuring trendy and affordable product in a range of categories and pre-packaged gifts,” said Martine Reardon, evp, marketing.

And at Minneapolis-based Target, the discounter is holding a pre-Thanksgiving four-day sale which will include “deep discounts” on toys, electronics and other items.

Coupons will be available in Target’s Nov. 21 weekly ad to provide even greater value on holiday gifts, entertaining items and food.

On Target.com, the retailer will also host a one-day online event on Thanksgiving Day with online-only deals not available in the post-Thanksgiving two-day sale. Target.com is offering its largest free-shipping event ever – shoppers who spend $50 or more on Target.com from Nov. 21 to Dec. 11 will receive free shipping directly to their home on more than 800,000 items.

For after-Thanksgiving shoppers, Target will have a two-day sale Nov. 26 and 27. This event will comprise 11 more “doorbuster” deals than the prior year for a total of 25 bargains. Additionally, the two-day sale will feature savings on home, apparel, electronics, entertainment, toys and more.

Shoppers who spend $100 or more before 10 a.m. on Black Friday will receive a $10 Target gift card toward future purchases.

And for mobile shoppers, Target will make store maps available on Target.com two days before Black Friday to allow shoppers to prepare in advance their shopping trip with store navigation and doorbuster sites within the store.