Marketing

Lowe's has found itself facing a backlash after the retail giant pulled ads from a reality show about American Muslims. Lowe's stopped advertising on TLC's "All-American Muslim" after the Florida Family Association complained, saying the program was "propaganda that riskily hides the Islamic agenda's clear and present danger to American liberties and traditional values."

Dollar General announced it's giving $100,000 to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation to support its efforts to provide toys to underprivileged children.

In a first for fashion retail, the Gap has teamed with streaming music startup Roqbot to let users decide on their smartphones which music plays over store loudspeakers. Visitors to the chain’s Chestnut Street location in San Francisco, which has access to Roqbot’s catalog of 6 million songs, can now use their iPhone or Android handsets to select and choose upcoming tunes.

Retailers are focusing on giving shoppers what they want in an effort to turn browsers into buyers and ensure their brand stays top of mind this holiday season. More than 32 percent of consumers will shop online this holiday season, according to a study from the National Retail Federation. This reality makes email a perfect channel for delivering holiday messages. Here are five tactics to ensure your brand is at the top of consumers’ lists this holiday season:

A powerful data mining application helps this 41-store specialty retailer maintain its stock position in a tricky retail environment.

Sears announced that it's offering free delivery of fresh cut Christmas trees to customers when they order them via Sears.com. Through Dec. 15, customers can go to Sears.com to order their own Fraser fir from the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains and have it delivered for free directly to their home, apartment or office.

While you were using your work computer to scoop up Cyber Monday deals, outdoor apparel retailer Patagonia kindly asked you "to buy less and to reflect before you spend a dime on this jacket or anything else."

While the holiday shopping season has officially begun, it’s not too late to make some cost-effective, easy-to-deploy adjustments to your e-commerce site. All you have to do is target consumers where it often matters most — closer to home in their own digital neighborhoods.

Target will donate $5 million to local schools nationwide as part of the company's commitment to give $1 billion for education by the end of 2015. Target has teamed up with "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and its viewers to select 50 schools in need to receive a $100,000 grant.