Coupons/ Rebates/ Pricing

Barnes & Noble's Get Pop-Cultured campaign is getting a dose of medicine from Dr. Seuss ths month.

Bronto Software has released the 2015 version of its popular Holiday Resource Center to help retailers optimize marketing strategies and drive sale growth.

Office Depot Inc. is thinking teachers first with an omnichannel component at the core of its back-to-school promotion.

San Jose, Calif. – Back-to-school shoppers are doing their homework online before making purchases. According to research from store analytics provider RetailNext, 73% of consumers research online and then buy back-to-school items in the store.

In addition, 32% of college shoppers plan to comparison shop online to make sure they get the best pricing, up from 28% in 2014. More than 31% of K-12 school shoppers will compare prices online, compared with 30% last year.

Other notable findings include:

Portland, Ore. – Specialty membership-based outdoor retailer The Clymb targets active consumers with an active, content-driven marketing strategy. The Clymb drives people to its e-commerce site with content such as photos of outdoor activities on social networks like Instagram.

Rite Aid stores are hoping to attract more back-to-school shoppers with a new assortment of supplies, including affordable electronics and dorm room decor.

“We know that students and parents are looking for a stress-free and seamless transition as summer winds down and the new school year starts,” said Tony Montini, Rite Aid executive vice president of merchandising. “With our 4,600 convenient locations, large assortment of products and great prices, our customers will find everything they need to succeed and stand out this school year.”

The pervasiveness of smartphones is making this back-to-school season the most technology-influenced ever, and a new study from Synchrony Financial provides fresh insight on the impact digital tools are having.

A Food City supermarket in Bristol, Va., has given new meaning to that old merchandising adage, “stack it high and let it fly,” by creating the world’s largest pineapple display.

Framingham, Mass. – Off-price retailer T.J. Maxx provides “compare at” prices that tell shoppers how much cheaper an item is than it would be at a full-price department store, but how truthful are those comparisons?    According to a class action lawsuit brought against T.J. Maxx in San Francisco by two customers, Staci Chester and Daniel Friedman, “compare at” pricing leaves a lot of wiggle room for the retailer.  

Dollar General is taking a decidedly modern approach to the age-old tradition of back-to-school shopping.