Marketing Tactics

The opening of two new Stein Mart stores in New Jersey and California this month will round out the discount department store operator's 2013 capital expansion program and give it a year-end total of 264 units.

The opening follows four new stores last month in El Paso, Texas; Buford, Ga.; Elk Grove, Calif.; and Colorado Springs, Co., as well as a September comparable-store sales increase of 5% and a total net sales increase of 7.3% for the month.

Tractor Supply CEO Greg Sandfort outlined the company's online strategy, borrowing phrases from trendy multichannel retailers.

“We have to have our site geared to giving customers the options for any way they like to engage with us,” Sandfort said during the recent Goldman Sachs investor conference.

New York -- Lord & Taylor, a division of Hudson’s Bay Company, has opened a store at Mizner Park, an open-air, mixed-use center in downtown Boca Raton, Fla. The two-level, 80,000-sq.-ft. store store marks the retailer’s return to the Sunshine State.

The new store features the company’s latest store design, which emulates a classic style but with a new, updated twist. A sense of glamour permeates the space, seen in such details as chandeliers imported from Italy and 300 mannequins that showcase strong fashion statements.

Pittsburgh -- Dick’s Sporting Goods grand-opened three new stores on Friday, bringing the total store count to 541 in the U.S.

The chain opened a store in Redding, Wash., at the Redding Hilltop Center, its 30th store in the state of Washington. A new opening in Victorville, Calif., at The Mall of Victor Valley, marks the 31st Dick’s store in California.

And in Kansas, at the Midstate Plaza in Salina, Dick’s opened its eighth store in the state.

Digital media company Specific Media and Nielsen have joined forces to offer a new platform called Retail Connect designed to address what the firms regard as a gap between offline and online advertising.

According to Specific Media, the Retail Connect platform will allow for more effective advertising for brands as well as consumers because it leverages Nielsen’s Buyer Insights aggregate data about in-store consumption habits and online behaviors to inform an optimized and efficient approach to online advertising.

New York – Halston is launching its digital flagship store in more than 80 countries today, including the U.S., and Canada. The vertical e-commerce site will feature Halston Heritage apparel and accessories. The brand is also expanding its physical presence, with plans to expand to more than 20 locations by yearend.

Meijer is preparing for Halloween, a growing category, and marketing an assortment of costumes not only to youth but also to pets.

Westwood Village, Calif. — Urban Outfitters has signed a lease with Topa Management Co. for 16,556 sq. ft. in Westwood Village, Calif., more than doubling the size of its presence in the urban village. The McDevitt Co. represented both parties in the transaction.

The new store, Urban Outfitters third largest in California, has original exposed brick wall, ironwork and high ceilings and provides a brand appropriate space for the retailer.