Marketing Tactics

New York City -- Many retailers reported better-than-expected sales in February amid milder mid-month temperatures in many parts of the country. But some warned of a weaker March due the timing of the Easter holiday. Analysts also cautioned that rising fuel prices may damper consumer spending going forward.

The Thomson Reuters Same-Store Sales Index rose 4.2% in February, topping estimates for a 3.6% increase, and also rising higher than in the year-ago period.

GNC branded nutritional products are now being offered in 400 Sam’s Clubs in keeping with the club retailer’s efforts to gain market share in the health and wellness area. The GNC brand allows Sam’s to offer a differentiated product assortment and shopping experience from club competitors, as plans call for GNC to rotate pallets of its top-selling private label items throughout the year. The first two items include a two-pound container of GNC Pro Performance AMP Amplified 100% Whey Protein for $18.98 and a 1.7 pound bottle of GNC Total Lean Lean Shake for $22.98.

The National Governors Association named Walmart the recipient of its annual Public-Private Partnership Award at the closing of its 2011 Winter Meeting. The award is now in its fifth year and honors companies that have partnered with a governor's office to implement a program or project that positively affects the state's citizens. Walmart was nominated by Arkansas Gov.

New York City -- Building upon the momentum in retail real estate in the recovering economy, Chain Store Age has debuted a new community-oriented “micro-site” for retail real estate executives and shopping center developers. Called “Community” and accessible from chainstoreage.com, the new site offers such features as project of the week, mall marketing spotlight, and bylined articles from industry experts.

MINNEAPOLIS — February same-store sales at Target advanced 1.8%, thanks to the addition of fresh food and consumables that are part of an aggressive remodeling program causing more people to shop its stores. The company said more than half of its February same store-sales gain was driven by an increase in transactions combined with a small increase in the average transaction size. The 1.8% gain comes on top of a 2.4% increase in February 2010.

Reference to the posthumous gyrations of Walmart’s legendary founder Sam Walton were quite common in recent years as the company pursued a wide range of disruptive strategies in the name of Project Impact. You never had to look far to find someone with an opinion on how Walton would feel about some aspect of Walmart’s business, as the universe of those who profess to have some unique insight into his psyche is so large.

New York City -- Sales at Macy’s, J.C. Penney and Kohl’s surpassed analysts’ estimates in February amid gradually moderating temperatures and rising consumer confidence. However, analysts warned that a late Easter and rising gasoline prices could impact sales going forward.

Confidence among U.S. consumers rose in February to the highest level in three years, according to a Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan index, as a drop in unemployment helped overcome concern over rising food and fuel costs.

Naperville, Ill. — OfficeMax announced that is unveiling a new and improved version of its TUL branded dry erase markers.

TUL dry erase markers feature non-toxic ink formula with reduced odor, a rubberized grip, ergonomic square design, and built-in magnets compatible with magnetic dry-erase boards. The lineup also includes an eraser on the cap of each marker as well as a separate magnetic eraser.