Marketing Tactics

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Eastman Kodak Company announced that its Kodak Picture Kiosk software will now allow consumers to use images from Facebook to create photo products. The enhanced Facebook application is the flagship feature of the new Kodak Picture Kiosk software version 5.0 currently being rolled out to retailers worldwide, the company said.

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation Wednesday said that legislation introduced in the House to repeal debit card swipe fee reform would cost consumers more than $6 billion a year in savings that merchants plan to pass along to their customers.

Portland, Ore. -- Ikea officially plugged-in two Blink Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations at its Portland, Ore., store as part of its partnership with ECOtality, a leader in clean electric transportation and storage technologies.

The initiative is the first such project for Ikea in the United States. Similar installations aa planned at eight other Ikea stores in the Western United States.

By Martin Walker and Martin Walker, A.T. Kearney’s Global Business Policy Council

The fastest-growing age group worldwide in this century will be people over the age of 60. What must retailers and manufacturers know to adapt to this older consumer group? In the first-ever international survey of consumers over the age of 60, A.T. Kearney interviewed 3,000 people in 23 countries to find out what mature consumers want. The short answer: prices and labels they can read, packaging they can open, and more places to sit down in stores.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Two years of declining same-store sales at Walmart are poised to end next month when the retailer reports third quarter results that reflect positive momentum from a wide range of initiatives put in place during the past 12 months, judging from comments made by senior executives during an all day meeting with analysts on Wednesday.

BILLERICA, Mass. and MINNEAPOLIS — Customers looking to get their hands on the new iPhone 4S can trade in their old versions for special trade-in values at more than 1,400 Target stores nationwide. Through a partnership with NextWorth, Target is offering customers locked in trade-in values for old iPhones that can be redeemed when they pick up their new iPhone 4S starting Oct. 14. 

According to NextWorth, old iPhones need only be in good working order to qualify for the values quoted below:

• iPhone 4 (16GB & 32GB): $200

Japanese retailer Uniqlo will officially open the doors to its Fifth Avenue global flagship on Friday, Oct. 14. But after a sneak peak of the store, all I can say is “Wow!” At 89,000 sq. ft., Uniqlo is massive — with 100 fitting rooms, 45 checkouts, 100 LCD screens, four glass elevators, and three floors of merchandise. It feels more like a high-tech department store than a specialty store.

Nashville, Tenn. -- The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) honored IHL president and Retail Orphan Initiative (RetailROI) co-founder Greg Buzek with the first annual Paul Singer Award at the 13th Annual Angels in Adoption Congressional gala. RetailROI is a charitable foundation that was established to help the 400 million orphaned and vulnerable children worldwide.

The award was presented in a ceremony on Oct. 5, in Washington, D.C.