Coupons/ Rebates/ Pricing

The National Retail Federation (NRF) is publicly supporting a tax reform proposal released today by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas.  

Retail group argues for  debit card swipe fee regulations.   The National Retail Federation said Congress should reject a proposal from the head of the House Financial Services Committee to repeal a cap on debit card swipe fees. According to the NRF, the fees have saved consumers billions of dollars over the past five years.  

Many kids are just starting their summer vacations, but back-to-school shopping is well underway.  

Long dependent on low prices to draw customers to stores, Walmart is trying a new traffic-boosting tactic: fun.

The American Express card is now history at Costco Wholesale Club.    As of June 20, Costco is accepting only Visa-branded credit cards chain wide.   The retailer made headlines last year when it announced that, after 16 years, it was dropping American Express as its exclusive credit card provider and switching to Visa.   

Amazon.com is reportedly going to make it easier for third-party sellers on its Marketplace platform to sell certain items.  

Summer is an interesting time in the world of retail. With lazy vacation-stilted months in June and July and the comparatively bustling back-to-school energy of August, it is a season of contradictions. While, yes, the unique challenges and opportunities of summer sales patterns and scheduling are different than any other time of the year, understanding what is likely on tap for retailers this summer requires an appreciation for certain universal factors that play a role no matter what the calendar says.