Promotional Strategy

Black Friday, the annual shopping extravaganza which brought in more than $1.5 billion in online sales alone last November, is arguably the single most important day for retailers in the U.S. Now Amazon.com wants to steal its thunder with Prime Day. The e-commerce giant announced that it will mark its 20th anniversary on July 15…

A marketing campaign designed to get eBay customers re-engaged went terribly wrong recently, and shoppers are underwhelmed by eBay's attempt to placate them after it reneged on the offer. eBay UK had sent shoppers coupons for 20 percent off a purchase of 20 pounds or more, with a maximum coupon value of 50 pounds. However,…

Kohl’s is about to try its hand at “off price” retail, becoming the latest retail chain to open an outlet store to lift sales and profits. The department store will open a single 30,000 square-foot store in Cherry Hill, N.J., near Philadelphia, in June that will be stocked with “like new” clothes, accessories and home…

Macy’s is launching Macy’s Backstage to help it spur growth. The outlets will offer clearance goods from Macy’s stores as well as brand

Those of you eyeing the new Apple Watch will need a reservation to buy one. Consumers who simply walk into an Apple Store expecting to purchase the new watch on the spot will apparently be out of luck, according to leaked Apple training documents obtained by MacRumors. Instead, buyers will have to reserve a specific model ahead of time via an online "product reservation" system. This tidbit itself isn't new, however. In its March 9 press release, Apple said that Apple Watch sales would start April 24 online or by reservation in its stores.

If you're an avid shopper, there's a good chance you've asked yourself some variation of these questions lately: Wasn't that store offering a "40 percent off your purchase" promotion the last time I came to the mall? And maybe the time before that? Indeed, such promotions have become a mainstay at major e-commerce sites and brick-and-mortar stores since the economic downturn, when deep discounts seemed to be the only way to get anxious consumers to make a purchase. But now, as the economic recovery strengthens, some retailers are trying to put the brakes on their years-long promotional ride.

U.S. shoppers spent 2.4 percent more during the weekend before the Christmas holiday this year, giving a boost to retailers in the final days of 2014. Purchases during the so-called Super Saturday weekend rose to $42 billion, up from $41 billion during the same weekend a year ago, said Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, a research firm. The performance on the Saturday before Christmas, one of the busiest shopping days of the year, indicates that this holiday season may fall short of early estimates that it would be the best in three years. 

The worst thing about going to the movies is having to sit upright for a few hours. Everyone knows lying down is the ideal viewing position for anything on a screen — or anything at all, for that matter. No stranger to putting dream-like imagery in its advertising, Ikea moves even more directly into the bedroom with its latest stunt. Moviegoers in Khimki, Russia are being treated to quite a surprise this month. After purchasing their tickets, patrons are led to a theater that's been completely gutted and transformed into a giant bedroom, entirely outfitted with Ikea furniture.

With Black Friday signaling the final stretch of holiday shopping, it's more important than ever for retailers to execute their digital marketing strategies with precision. In a noisy marketplace with countless retailers clamoring for consumers’ limited dollars and attention, using the right message to reach the right people in the right channel at the right time of day is critical.

Have retailers’ earlier and earlier deals each holiday season made Black Friday moot? Not quite. Some 87 million Americans still hit stores on Friday, according to a National Retail Federation (NRF) survey released on Sunday. But by ramping up holiday sales events more intensely than ever, and as early as the first week of November, retailers took a big bite of what's long been the busiest shopping weekend of the year. Total spending for the four-day weekend that started on Thanksgiving is expected to reach $50.9 billion, down 11.3 percent from last year's estimated $57.4 billion, according to NRF projections.