Marketing Tactics

New York -- Barnes & Noble claims the top position in a list of the most powerful “Back-to-School” retail brands, according to Tenet Partners’ Top 20 ranking.  

Rounding out the top five: Walmart, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Amazon and Old Navy.

As back to school season heats up, Staples is launching an innovative promotion that aims to give students in North America the opportunity to make a world of difference with their back-to-school purchases.

Lost jobs, ugly architecture, picky consumers and stiff competition are among the reasons why Costco may have a tough time achieving success in France, according to a Seattle Times report.

The newspaper says the Washington-based retailer is building its first warehouse in France and envisions opening as many as 15 stores in that nation over the next 10 years. But whether Costco will succeed in attracting the French consumer is an important question.

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New York -- GameStop wants its employees to pursue a higher education.

New York -- Amazon should be feeling pumped about the  results of its one-day super sale anniversary event in July.

The Internet giant had a 30.1% increase in marketplace sales in July over the year-ago period, with the increase likely due to its “Prime Day” sale on  July 15, according to a ChannelAdvisor report.

Overstock.com is embarking on a promotion that promises to wow many of its core shoppers, as well as avid viewers of home and garden shows.

The retailer is partnering with HGTV to furnish a home as part of the annual HGTV Urban Oasis 2015 giveaway. This year's home is an approximately 1,300-square-foot bungalow located in the heart of trendy artistic enclave Asheville, N.C. (as shown above).

A collection of crowdfunded products introduced on Staples Web site is being billed as a “first-of-its-kind-entrepreneurial store.”

Staples conducted a contest called Crowd2Shelf and winners of the inaugural event created by Fundable debuted on Staples' new entrepreneurial store at Staples.com/fundable. The contest drew thousands of startups across the country who competed for a chance to crowdfund their way to Staples. The Crowd2Shelf Contest was also made possible by the business strategy firm Sprosty Network.

New York -- Macy's is planning a catwalk show of its own to close out the biggest fashion week of the year.

The retailer announced that it will host “Macy’s Presents Fashion’s Front Row” on Sept. 17 in New York City, featuring celebrities, musical acts and a runway show.