Marketing Tactics

New York — Due to the holiday rush and related closings, sister publication Chain Store Age has extended the deadline for its 32nd annual Retail Store of the Year Design Competition until Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014.

A program Tyson Foods developed to encourage people to make healthy choices by eating more chicken has been extended to three months and involves Facebook as a key component.

Extreme value retailer 99 Cents Only will use its entry into the Waco, Texas, market to unveil a store format considerably smaller than any of its other locations.

The City of Commerce, Calif-based operator of 339 stores said its new store in Waco will open on Jan. 9 and measure about 13,000 sq. ft. That size is well below the company’s average store size of 21,000 sq. ft. and also below the range of 15,000 to 20,000 sq. ft. the company had previously identified as its sweet spot for new stores.

Whole Foods Market’s Local Producer Loan Program has reached the initial goal of funding $10 million in low-interest loans to local and independent food businesses, and has now committed an additional $15 million for a total of $25 million in funding.

The Local Producer Loan Program (LPLP) has provided 184 loans to 155 companies since its inception in 2007.

Plano, Texas -- Pizza Hut will offer 50% off any medium or large pizza ordered online from Jan. 1-10. The online promotion marks the 20th anniversary of Pizza Hut offering online ordering via its “PizzaNet” digital ordering hub.

Participants will also join the brand's "Hut Lovers" program, which provides members with other exclusive deals. Pizza Hut is launching a YouTube ad featuring 1990s pop artists Ace of Base as part of the promotion.

OnlyLeggings.com is borrowing a page from the playbook of Costco and Amazon to create a membership-based program to appeal to those who regularly purchase leg wear.

New York -- Macy’s and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia have reached a confidential settlement in their ongoing legal dispute over whether Martha Stewart breached a contract by selling certain goods at J.C. Penney Co.

Martha Stewart and Macy’s both said the terms of the settlement aren’t material to their businesses. In a separate statement, Macy's said that the settlement did not affect its outstanding claim against Penney.

Washington -- The National Retail Federation Thursday formally filed an appeal of a controversial antitrust lawsuit settlement covering credit card swipe fees, asking the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a lower court’s ruling.