Marketing

TJX delivered a three percent comparable store sales increase and a 17 percent increase in net income in the second quarter. Ross Stores comps gained four percent in the second quarter in addition to a strong increase in earnings. Neither TJX nor Ross is getting their comp gains by pushing unprofitable discounts. Evidence that both stores have proven particularly good at translating customer knowledge into additional sales comes from their track record with new product categories.

Timberland is putting its best foot forward in a new global campaign showcasing the Earthkeepers collection of eco-friendly apparel. The effort, dubbed "Nature Needs Heroes," includes TV, print and retail ads, as well as social media and a microsite that uses 3-D technology to help consumers become better acquainted with Earthkeepers.

As part of its continuing efforts to shore up its online offerings, Sears says it is launching Sears.com Shoe Experience Website, a 450-brand emporium that it will push through social marketing efforts.

Find out what the experts are saying as we highlight the best of the month from RetailOnlineIntegration.com.

So, how can your company follow in The Fresh Diet's footsteps and make Inc.'s 500 list? Here are seven ways how:

Target, with 1,743 stores in 49 states, will announce "My TargetWeekly," a fully customizable version of its weekly ad. The ad now appears on Target.com, where it draws more than 1.2 million visitors weekly, and in Sunday newspapers, where it is seen by 100 million consumers each week.

Six years after the launch of Facebook, North American consumers in the valued 18-34 year-old demographic prefer by a wide margin to learn about marketing offers via postal mail and newspapers rather than online sources such as social media platforms, according to national survey research from ICOM, a division of Epsilon Targeting.

As the back-to-school shopping season winds down, retailers still have the opportunity to engage consumers by helping them make smart, informed and value-driven choices.

What a difference a deal makes. Groupon launched its first nationwide deal, $25 off a $50 purchase at Gap. The promotion, which was available in every city, briefly crashed Groupon’s servers as deal-happy consumers clicked on the 50 percent discount and pinged their friends.

Piperlime has raised the ire of some of its Facebook fans with a series of cheeky — or "snotty," according to detractors — wall posts last week. The Gap brand began posting updates on Facebook and Twitter such as "Every time you wear sweatpants in public, a single guy leaves New York" and "Let's put Saturday-night effort into Sunday afternoon." While some fans found the posts entertaining, even applauding Piperlime for attacking sweatpants, others were enraged.