retailers
Mail-in rebates decline
While the number of Black Friday promotions that require a mail-in rebate continue to decline, some of the nation's top retailers continue to tout prices that aren't immediately available at the cash register. In response to consumer complaints, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Miami-Dade County have enacted laws that require the discount be made available at check-out. Full article.
Smart Spending: Beware retailers' hidden meanings
The words seem straightforward enough: special, reduced, exclusive, value. But the language retailers use to describe prices and promotions leaves lots of room for interpretation - and manipulation. The most dangerous word of all? "Free." Full article.
Holiday Hires
According to Forbes Magazine, some retailers are looking for workers this holiday season, including Sears, J. C. Penney, and Macy's, UPS and Fedex. And, it looks like holiday jobs could be the gift that keeps on giving as forty percent of companies surveyed said they planned to make some of the holiday hires full time. Full article.
Holiday shopping battle starts to gear up
The battle for holiday shoppers' dollars has begun in earnest. The early competition to break through shoppers' caution about spending promises savings, and retailers are offering deals anytime, anywhere their customers want, through websites, smart phones and Facebook. Full article.
Discounts will be key to holiday sales
Forecasters expect a better holiday season for U.S. retailers, but say the price will be more discounts to get consumers shopping. The National Retail Federation expects holiday sales to rise 2.3% over last year. The tone was set by the discount-driven back-to-school shopping season, which wrapped up in September with strong sales of children's and teen clothing. Full article.
The retailer's clever little helper
The battle between online and brick-and-mortar retailers used to be a lopsided fight. Internet stores enjoy the paradigm-busting advantages of the Web, and offline retailers, by contrast, may never know anything about a shopper. Now, however, smartphone-centered services such as Foursquare, Gowalla, Booyah, etc. are designed to give businesses the chance to tailor deals to patrons and forge enduring relationships with the otherwise unidentified folks who may be their best customers. Full Article.
Retailers sold on frugality
American retailers are becoming as frugal as their customers, cutting expenses to maintain stable profits through what is increasingly looking like another challenging holiday season. Full Article. (Registration Required).
Back to School Sales to help the economy
The back-to-school season is the second-largest sales period after holiday spending. This year, parents may be able to spend a little more, putting more muscle behind the economic rebound and retailers are even introducing new clothing lines to lure shoppers. Full Article.
Major Retailers Latch on to 'Hauler' Viral Videos
Thanks to the Internet, girls are doing more than bragging about their fashion finds. A growing phenomenon called "haul videos" allows shoppers to show off their purchases to the whole world on sites like YouTube. Major retailers are giving the haul video makers a commercial makeover, and it could mean big business. Full Article.
Toys ‘R’ Us Offers Holiday Savers Club
Toys “R” Us is counting on an Eisenhower-era tactic to get consumers spending again. The program is a throwback to programs banks and credit unions offered in the ‘50s and ‘60s, called holiday clubs, where prudent consumers set aside shopping money in advance. The “Christmas Savers Club” will allow shoppers to put money away for holiday gifts, and is another example of how the recession forced retailers to come up with creative ways to promote sales. Full Article.
