Marketing Tactics

Books-A-Million is getting an early start on summer reading promotions with a giveaway tied to a popular book series.

Toronto -- Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th has announced its first three store locations in Canada as it prepares to enter the Canadian marketplace next year.

The retailer will open stores in Tanger Outlets, Kanata (a suburb of Ottawa); Outlet Collection at Niagara, Niagara-on-the-Lake; and Vaughan Mills, Vaughan (just north of Toronto) in spring 2016. The three stores are the first of up to 25 locations that Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th plans to open nationwide.

Washington, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation is  NRF is hosting a night of shopping in the nation’s capital to honor retail’s entrepreneurial spirit.

The National Retail Federation’s “Retail’s Night Out” will be a celebration of Small Business Week with local merchants and national brands set up in one-night-only pop-up shops in Washington, D.C., on May 6. The event will also feature live music, local food trucks and a red carpet.

In the South, it’s never too early to talk about football, which is why N.C.-based department store Belk made a big college football announcement this week.

The chain says it will be the title sponsor of the 2015 Belk College Kickoff Game, featuring the University of North Carolina Tar Heels and the University of South Carolina Gamecocks. The game is set to take place at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Sept. 3 with a 6 p.m. kickoff.

New York -- Aimee Soft, a Tel Aviv-based software company, has become an affiliate member of The O Alliance, adding a service that helps brands identify products most likely to result in online transactions.

Sears is putting its decades of home improvement knowledge to work once again for military families.

The retailer has launched its eighth annual Heroes at Home campaign with Rebuilding Together to raise funds and assist military families facing hardship by making necessary repairs, improvements or modifications to their homes. The program, which has raised more than $18 million over the past seven years thanks to donations from Shop Your Way members, customers and associates, has funded more than 1,500 home rebuilds.

Macy’s will finally unveil its off-price business model in the fall by opening four new stores in the New York City area under a name that might not be so unfamiliar to loyal customers.

Guitar Center has teamed up with Grammy Award-winning musician-DJ-producer superstar Zedd on an innovative omnichannel promotion to give aspiring musicians the chance to take their careers to the next level.