Clearance Alert: Josie Natori for Target

The second capsule collection of Josie Natori for Target is now on clearance in stores and on Target.com. The initial "Holiday" collection has been on sale since late December, and is now 50% off. And the second "Valentine's Day" collection is 30% off. There's still quite a few items left to choose from, like this pretty floral print kimono robe (which could also probably double as a top if you put a cami underneath it). But buyer beware: this line runs on the small side, so be sure to size up.

Target boosts fresh-food offerings

Target is boosting their fresh-food offerings. Starting later this month, more than 100 remodeled Target general merchandise stores will devote about 10,000 square feet to fresh foods, including produce. And by the end of the year, another 230 will offer the new layout.

Space gains vary by store, said Target spokeswoman Kristin Jahnke. “This is an increase in space,” she said. “To make room for the fresh food layout, we’ve contracted spaces within our various discretionary businesses such as home and apparel and accessories.” The remodels mean about a 40% bump in food offerings for Target’s general merchandise stores.

Expanded fresh offerings will include produce and packaged meats. A nationwide map of Target store locations receiving the expanded grocery layout is available online here.

New Harajuku Mini at Target...

The third installment of Gwen Stefani's Harajuku Mini for Target has hit stores. Her first collection was introduced back in November, and a second one debuted in January. This latest wave is saturated in red, white, blue, green and yellow, in fabrications of cotton, fleece, gingham, eyelet and denim. You can check out the full collection here on Target.com.

Sonia Kashuk's new Satin Lip Colors

As I reported a couple of weeks ago, Sonia Kashuk is phasing out some of her beauty products (in particular, her lipsticks) in order to introduce new formulas. Her revamped lipsticks (shown here) will be hitting stores soon, along with the rest of her Spring 2012 line.

Sonia's new Satin Lip Colors with SPF 16 give your pout protection and intense moisture in a wide range of shades, including Ruby Rose, a bright raspberry reddish pink, and Barely Nude, a muted pink beige.

And now a programming note: I will be taking a "blogging break" for the next week or so. Regular posts should resume around March 12th.

Spring jewelry trends from Target...

Does your jewelry box need a refresh for Spring? Then I encourage you to head over to A Bullseye View for a gorgeous collection of new Spring styles from Target. I'm just showing two from the over 30 styles shown, and almost all of them link directly to Target.com (to view shopping availability and pricing).

Target notes the three key trends to look for are "colorful stones" (which I've shown a sampling of here), "minimilistic muse", and "geometric gems".

Goody to introduce heat styling tools at Target

They've been in the hair-styling business for years, and now Goody is about to release their first-ever hair dryer. Goody's Flash Dry Blow Dryer will hit Target stores soon. Goody told WWD that the Flash dryer ($36.99) is designed to speed up airflow, and therefore also reduce drying time by 35 percent (cutting roughly 15-20 minutes from each session).

Goody will also introduce the Wave Creator Styling Iron ($29.99) which will launch along with the Flash Dry Blow Dryer later this month at Target.

Target pulls Whitney Houston greeting card

Target is pulling a greeting card from store shelves that pokes fun at singer Whitney Houston's penchant for "bad boys".

According to the Associated Press, the retailer said in a statement yesterday that the card was sold in stores prior to the singer's death on Feb. 11th, and as soon as it was brought to their attention, they began the process of removing the offensive card. The card reads "The next time you think of dating the bad boy, consider Whitney Houston. That's all I'm going to say." The text refers to Houston's rocky relationship with ex-husband, singer Bobby Brown, who's been blamed for Houston's reported drug use.