Marketing Tactics

LANDOVER, Md. — Giant Food is bringing back its A+ School Rewards program.

SPARTA, Mich. — Old Orchard Brands has introduced new frozen fruit juice concentrates under its Harvest Select brand.

Available in apple, grape and orange varieties, Harvest Select contains 10% real fruit juice and each 8-oz. serving provides 100% of the daily recommended intake of vitamin C, Old Orchard Brands said.

Harvest Select frozen juice cocktail concentrate can be found in the frozen juice aisle of retailers nationwide for a suggested retail price of 99 cents per can.

Talk about an uphill battle. Walmart is trying to educate shoppers about eating healthy on a limited budget and the importance of understanding unit prices when evaluating purchase decisions.

Pittsburgh -- Dick’s Sporting Goods said Thursday it has launched a new mobile application for iPhone and Android smartphones.

The new app gives users access to Dick’s ScoreCard rewards program, along with location services, social networking and mobile shopping capabilities. It also features built-in barcode scanner functionality, allowing shoppers to scan product and marketing QR codes in-store and access information including product description, news, price and user reviews.

BALTIMORE — Sprout Foods is adding new toddler puree snacks to its portfolio and also will introduce more convenient product packaging, the company announced at the Natural Products Expo East in Baltimore.

Widespread media reports have Walmart discontinuing the sale of Amazon’s popular Kindle devices, which begs the questions what took so long and will we ever see a Walmart tablet.

Walmart’s decision to begin selling the Kindle was one of the more wrong-headed moves the company has ever made. A Kindle is Amazon’s version of a Gillette razor, essentially a device that provides consumers a portal to purchase Amazon’s other inventory, or in Gillette’s case, more blades. Target wisely gave Kindle the boot earlier this year.

By Kevin Kulinowski, Robert Grosskopf and Rick Edwards, Gordon Brothers Group

The defining paradox of our industry is that closing stores has become a trademark of successful retail companies. Certainly healthy retailers are opening new stores; but shuttering locations has become the norm as well and, in most instances, is equally indicative of positive growth.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target customers who receive the retailer's mobile coupons can now access them on their iPhone or iPod touch via Passbook.

“We’re thrilled to bring our guests the ability to use Target mobile coupons via Passbook on their iPhone and iPod touch,” said Phil McKoy, VP Target.com and mobile experience. “Passbook marks an exciting step forward as Target continues to seek the most innovative ways to deliver a great shopping experience to our guests.”