Marketing Tactics

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Tuesday it will hire 100 additional developers in India as part of its @WalmartLabs unit, which is focused on growing the retailer’s social media and mobile presence globally.

In November, WalmartLabs, under the retailer’s global e-commerce group, will build an operation in India to use social media and digital technology to attract shoppers.
 

Keeping a store open during a remodel versus closing it until the work is completed was the theme of the SPECS session, “Open Store Remodels: Best Practices for Maintaining the Customer Experience and the Focus on Sales.” The session was part of the Ground-Up Construction and Remodeling workshop track.

Although the speakers had experience with both methodologies, they focused more on ways to keep the store open during the process.

Denver -- Research results released Tuesday by The Integer Group and M/A/R/C Research found that, despite a shopping list being a tool to stay on budget and eliminate unnecessary purchases, nine out of 10 shoppers still buy items not on their list.

The shopper behavior study, called The Checkout, showed that 66% of those who purchase off-list items were motivated by a sale or promotion. Thirty percent said they found a coupon, and 23% wanted to pamper themselves.

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. will celebrate Earth Day by distributing 1.5 million reusable bags in all of its stores on April 22.

In addition, Target will offer guests simple, sustainable solutions and more than $50 in savings on sustainable products throughout April in our stores and via a limited-time website. The retailer also will partner with Recyclebank, an organization that promotes sustainable decisions by allowing individuals to earn rewards for actions like recycling and reducing water use.

JAKKS Pacific Inc., appointed Carmine Russo president of its international division with responsibility for growing international sales and overseeing marketing, advertising, promotions and distribution operations across all product divisions.
 

Bentonville, Ark. -- Significant waste reduction and greater use of renewable energy are detailed in Walmart’s just-released fifth annual Global Responsibility Report (GRR). Entitled “Beyond 50 Years: Building a Sustainable Future,” the report highlights the chain’s global top 10 list of achievements to reduce its impact on the environment, improve efficiency in its supply chain and stores, and address social issues.

By Elizabeth Cogswell Baskin

Editor’s note: Launched in March 2010, Pinterest now ranks as the third most-visited social-networking site in the United States, according to a recent report by Experian Marketing Services. Pinterest, which lets its users “pin” photos and information onto virtual boards, ranks behind only Facebook and Twitter in terms of total visitors, according to the report. It also skews heavily female — about 60% of users are women.

Miami Beach, Fla. -- Walgreens and Car Charging Group, a nationwide provider of electric vehicle (EV) charging services, have expanded EV charging services to 13 Walgreens locations in Orlando and Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fla.

The two companies plan to broaden their EV charging services with more locations in major metropolitan cities in Florida, as well as in other cities including Phoenix; Akron, Canton and Columbus, Ohio; and Austin, Texas.