TARGET

NEW YORK — Target will kick off a new ad campaign in 2011 that makes a tongue-in-cheek, if not frank and honest, appeal to new parents, according to a report by AdAge.

“I just had a 20-minute conversation with a stranger about nipples,” reads one of the print ads, which the article noted are “meant to illustrate the chaos, humor and absurdness that are hallmarks of parenting.”

MINNETONKA, Minn. — More retailers have signed on for UnitedHealthcare's prescription savings program that caters to Medicare Part D members.

Target, H-E-B, Hy-Vee, Publix Super Markets, Food Lion, Bloom, Harveys and Sweetbay Supermarket have joined the insurance company's Pharmacy Saver program, which allows members to purchase some scripts for $2 for 30-day and some 90-day supplies, and applies to hundreds of prescription drugs, including 8-of-the-10 most commonly used by UnitedHealthcare Medicare plan members.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — Target’s pharmacy division got a big boost early this month when the Industrial Designers Society of America named its ClearRx bottle for prescription drugs the Design of the Decade. The award — coupled with another J.D. Power customer satisfaction award earlier this year — are affirmation that the 1,752-store big-box giant is on the right track as it renews its niche in health and wellness.

MINNEAPOLIS – Target called it “pharmacy rethought from the bottle up” when it was introduced more than five years ago. Now, the company’s breakthrough ClearRx packaging innovation for prescription drugs has been named Design of the Decade by the Industrial Designers Society of America.

GURNEE, Ill. — EcoTools once again is joining forces with actress Alicia Silverstone to introduce for the spring the revamped eco-conscious cosmetic bag and brush collection set dubbed EcoTools by Alicia Silverstone.

The collection, which will launch April 2011, will feature three new additions and three revised sets. They will be available at Walmart, Target and Walgreens.

MINNEAPOLIS — Same-store sales surged 5.5% at Target during November, exceeding the company’s guidance and analysts’ expectations for a low-single digit gain. The company said the number of people shopping its stores as measured by transactions increased nearly 4% and average transaction sizes also were up slightly with broad-based growth throughout the store.

The company is looking for December comps to increase in the low- to mid-single digit range.

GARDINER, N.Y. — Kiss My Face, a maker of natural personal care products, has partnered with industry vets Lisa Yarnell and Ron Gordon, and financial partner Caltius Equity Partners, in an effort to fuel the growth of the brand throughout various market channels, including mass merchants, specialty shops and natural retailers across the United States and internationally.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target announced that it is launching a month-long anti-smoking campaign in connection with the American Cancer Society's 2010 Great American Smokeout to support guests and team members in their efforts to quit smoking.