Cause Marketing/ Community Programs

A unique sponsorship and promotional effort that only a retailer based in Southern California would think of is set to begin August 1.

Petco is the title sponsor of the Unleashed by Petco SurfDog Competition to be held in Imperial Beach just south of San Diego on August 1. It is the 10th time the event has been held and the second year San Diego-based Petco has served as lead sponsor to promote its relatively new 100 store Unleashed by Petco concept which focuses on natural and organic products.

Minneapolis – One way Target is trying to make shopping for school supplies hassle-free is with the School List Assist online hub. Currently in beta, School List Assist offers a curated assortment of the most common K-8 supplies on the list. Parents can purchase the school supplies their kids need and then pick them up in store or have them shipped to their homes.

Boston – Rue La La is adding some celebrity appeal to its omnichannel partnership promoting cotton. Actress, model and author Molly Sims is the new face of its "Cotton. It's Your Favorite for a Reason" campaign with promotional group Cotton Inc.  

Chicago -- Starbucks Corp. is ratcheting up its already significant commitment to job creation.

The coffee giant is teaming up with such other retail powerhouses as Walmart, CVS Health, Walgreens, Macy’s, Target and J.C. Penney in an ambitious jobs program to hire 100,000 16- to 24-year-olds "who face systemic barriers to jobs and education" by 2018 through apprenticeships, internships, training programs, and both part-time and full-time jobs.

Indianapolis -- Fresh Thyme Farmers Market may have only been in business in three years, but it is thinking big.

With some16 stores in the Midwest, the value-priced, organic specialty grocer is scheduled to open 60 stores by 2019. It will open two new location in the Indianapolis area on Aug. 6.

This year, GGP and The Lego Group partnered to host The Lego Americana Roadshow, a highly visual, educational and free traveling installation of larger-than-life Lego replicas of some of the nation’s most beloved landmarks.  

The Home Depot has come one step closer to eliminating youth homelessness in Canada after sponsoring an inventive in-store campaign.

By purchasing a paper door for $2, Home Depot customers in Canada raised $1,253,370 toward the goal of ending youth homelessness in that nation. Donations will go to support housing and life-skills development programs such as counselling, financial literacy, and employment preparation to give youth the practical tools they need to live to their full potential.

Staples is injecting a little bit of boy band starpower into its latest promotion aimed on supporting education.

The retailer is building on its decades-long support of teachers, students and education with a $10 million pledge to support Think It Up, a program launched by the Entertainment Industry Foundation. Think IT Up is a new movement created to inspire students to pursue their passions through student-powered, teacher-led learning projects with support from Staples for Students.