Marketing Tactics

Bentonville, Ark. – Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is partnering with the Alipay payment services subsidiary of Alibaba Holding Group to offer a new mobile payment option in some Chinese Wal-Mart locations. Customers at 25 Wal-Mart stores in the Chinese city of Shenzhen in southern China are now able to use the Alipay mobile wallet to pay for purchases.

Cincinnati -- Bad weather, decreased spending by international tourists  due to the strong U.S. dollar and delayed merchandise shipments from the West Coast port slowdown all contributed to Macy’s missing Wall Street projections for profit and revenue in the first quarter of fiscal 2015. Net income fell 13% to $193 million, from $224 million in the same quarter a year earlier.

Net sales dropped about 1% to $6.23 million, from $6.28 million. Same-store sales declined 0.7%.

Austin, Texas – Americans are known for their generosity, and that stereotype holds true when they go shopping. A new survey of 3,030 U.S. consumers across all ages by social responsibility firm Good Scout, “Change at the Checkout,” shows that 71% of respondents have donated to charity at the register.

Consumers surveyed listed “charity brand recognition” as the number one reason they feel compelled to give to charity at the register. The second leading reason is personal connection to the cause.

Grapevine, Texas – It’s not something from an episode of the classic black-and-white TV series “The Twilight Zone.” Monsters are coming to a street near you, courtesy of GameStop and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

Seattle -- REI has met its commitment to be powered by 100% renewable energy through energy efficiency, solar generation, long-term renewable energy contracts, and renewable energy certificates (RECs). That’s just one of the findings in the outdoor retailer’s 2014 Stewardship Report.

Express is hoping to attract fans of the hit movie “Pitch Perfect” with a new fashion line targeted to Millennials.

The retailer has partnered with Universal Pictures and Gold Circle Entertainment's “Pitch Perfect 2,” in theaters May 15, to create a dual-gender collection based on the looks seen in the film.

Toronto -- Canadians are not flocking over the border as much as last year, according to a recent cross-border shopping survey by marketing research firm GfK. Deterred by higher US exchange rates, Canadians are less willing to make the drive, despite the wider product selections available stateside.

Whole Foods Market is embarking on a project to teach its environmentally-minded customers that not all recycling is created equal.

The retailer announced a new partnership with Recycling Across America that aims to help reduce global waste and close the loop with the reuse of recycled materials in manufacturing.