Marketing Tactics

New York – Duane Reade is running a three week, omnichannel social media marketing campaign to raise awareness of Duane Reade brand hosiery products. The "Boo-tiful Legs" Halloween contest calls for entrants to upload their original photos wearing Duane Reade brand hosiery with their Halloween costume, via a Duane Reade Facebook page FanGate, through Nov. 3.

Kmart is kicking off the holiday shopping season with the launch of a new lease-to-own program in time for Black Friday.

Kmart said it would launch the program through Whynot Leasing and make it available nationwide starting on Nov. 22. Sears, also part of parent company Sears Holdings, also is launching the program, making it available for more than 95 million items via Sears Marketplace, including electronics, home goods, jewelry and tools, as well as major brands and boutique items.

Dallas — Bar Louie has opened a new location in south Arlington, Texas. It will be the brand’s second north Texas location.

The grand opening will host a four-day blowout bash starting Oct.17. In addition to $2 signature martinis, Bar Louie will offer all guests a free appetizer or flatbread just for stopping by.

Ann Arbor, Mich. -- Black Friday shopping may be on the decline, according to a new study by CFI Group, a customer satisfaction technology and analytics firm. The company’s 2013 Holiday Retail Spending Report found fewer than 25% of consumers plan to spend more than half of their total holiday shopping budgets during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday period. But 45% said they will begin before November, with 61% indicating they'll finish their shopping completely by early December

York, Pa. -- The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. will open a 21,000-sq.-ft. Carson’s Store Clearance Center located at The Landings Shopping Center in Lansing, Ill., on Oct. 19. Bon-Ton operates 272 department stores, which includes 10 furniture galleries, in 25 states in the Northeast, Midwest and upper Great Plains under the Bon-Ton, Bergner’s, Boston Store, Carson’s, Elder-Beerman, Herberger’s and Younkers nameplates.

Macy’s plans to get a jump on Black Friday and break tradition by opening the doors to most of its locations nationwide at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving evening, making it the first time in its history that the retailer will be open for business on the holiday.

Limited-time specials in every department for hundreds of items include exclusive fragrances, name-brand apparel and kitchen gadgets. Macy's will also donate $2 to Make-a-Wish, up to $100,000, for any One Direction "Our Moment" fragrance purchase beginning at opening for Black Friday.

New York – In a sign of just how competitive the upcoming holiday season is expected to be, Macy’s said that most of its stores will open at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving evening. It’s the first time in its history that the company will be open for business on the holiday.

San Francisco -- Cardfree, a mobile commerce provider to large merchants, announced that quick-service restaurant chain Checkers/Rally’s will leverage its full commerce platform to provide consumers with a complete mobile experience.