Marketing Tactics

Black Friday can be so limiting which is why OfficeMax is expanding a program it offered last year involving special deal pricing every Friday until mid December.

Jacksonville, Fla. -- Harbinger, a national sign fabrication company, has won a contract to fabricate and install double-faced LED-illuminated pylon signs for more than 600 7-Eleven locations in the United States. Harbinger will convert exterior signage to the 7-Eleven brand for the company’s newly acquired stores.

Shopko will open for extended hours and feature special door buster prices on hundreds of items beginning　Thanksgiving Day.

Washington -- The National Retail Federation on Friday said it will explore all legal options following a judge’s preliminary approval of a proposed class-action settlement of an antitrust lawsuit over the $30 billion a year in credit card swipe fees charged by Visa and MasterCard.

Dallas -- J.C. Penney Co. Inc. on Friday reported a 26.1% decline in third-quarter same-store sales, more than the 17.9% that Wall Street analysts were expecting.

Overall sales fell 26.6% to $2.93 billion. Internet sales fell 37.3% to $214 million.

The company said that its net loss narrowed to $123 million in the third quarter ended Oct. 27, from $143 million a year earlier. The loss was wider than analysts had expected.

Milwaukee — The continued softness of the economy weighed down on sales and profits at Roundy's during third quarter 2012, the Midwestern supermarket chain said Friday.

The company reported sales of $973.6 million, a 0.3% decrease from third-quarter 2011, while profits were $8.8 million, down from $12.4 million last year. Roundy's operates 161 stores with 98 pharmacies under the Pick 'n Save, Rainbow, Copps, Metro Market and Mariano's banners in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois.

Sam’s Club’s decision to open at 7 a.m. on Black Friday is a definite "swim upstream" move on the part of the warehouse club operator given retail industry trends and Walmart’s decision to offer its Black Friday deals on Thanksgiving.

Pleasanton, Calif. — Safeway on Friday announced it will expand its support of America's military veterans by hiring at least 1,000 military veterans in 2013 to add to the 1,300 hired to-date in 2012. In addition, the company is raising money this Veterans Day weekend for organizations that help veterans recover from service-related injuries and/or return to the civilian workforce.