Coupons/ Rebates/ Pricing

New York -- Apparel retailers reported modest sales growth for the month of September, fueled by back-to-school spending early in the month.

New York -- One-quarter (25%) of U.S. consumers plans to spend more on holiday shopping this year up from 20% in 2013, and spending on holiday gifts is expected to average $718, according to Accenture’s annual holiday shopping survey.

The survey also found consumer enthusiasm for Black Friday shopping has reached its highest level in eight years. Two-thirds of respondents (66%) said they are likely to shop on Black Friday, compared to 55% who planned to do so in 2013.

By Jeremy Geiger, Retailigence

The headline is bold, but yes, 2014 is the year of hyperlocal mobile advertising, and there are three very important trends converging today to make this happen. The first is smartphone proliferation; according to eMarketer, smartphone users worldwide will total a record-breaking two billion in 2014. Now billions of people around the world have the devices needed to make hyperlocal ads possible.

Retailers have had a tough year when it comes to advertising prices. In January, a California court issued a multimillion dollar penalty against Overstock.com, after determining that the company advertised discounts in a misleading manner. Since then, retailers across a range of industries have been dragged into costly lawsuits and regulatory investigations involving similar issues. If you’re wondering how something as mundane as advertising the price of an item could lead to so much trouble it’s because the issue is more complicated than most people think.

Cautious spending and a spending divide that has bifurcated the American holiday shopper into two distinct segments,  are two of the 10 big trends that are expected to drive the 2014 holiday shopping season, according to a new report from PwC US and Strategy&.

The 2014 holiday shopping season will be characterized by cautious spending, while economic realities create one of two American holiday shoppers — survivalists and selectionists — according to a new report released Tuesday from PricewaterhouseCoopers U.S. and Strategy, titled "2014 Holiday Outlook: Top trends, consumer behaviors and implications for retailers."

Menomonee Falls, Wis. - Kohl’s Department Stores is launching a new omnichannel loyalty program called Yes2You Rewards in stores and online nationwide. The program is designed to offer personalized “incentives and surprises,” as well as points for every in-store and online purchase.

Goodlettsville, Tenn. - Dollar General’s new Fast Way to Save program is now available in stores and online through Nov. 15. The program utilizes Dollar General’s new DG Digital Coupon platform powered by Coupons.com and offers an additional $100 in digital coupon discounts to Dollar General customers.

Irving, Texas – The Michaels Companies Inc. is launching its annual “Trick Your Pumpkin” Instagram contest Saturday, Oct. 4. Every Friday Oct. 10 - 31, Michaels will award a $250 Michaels gift card and gift basket to a randomly selected customer who creates a pumpkin craft.

Now in its fourth consecutive year, the Crock-Pot brand’s Ultimate Crock-Pot Crock-Star contest has kicked off with a twist. The brand hopes to capitalize on America’s selfie obsession.

This year’s nationwide search for the most inspiring slow-cooker superstar requires aspiring “Crock-Stars” to create a one-minute “video selfie” prepping an original recipe with a Crock-Pot Slow Cooker for a chance at “crock-stardom.”