Coupons/ Rebates/ Pricing

Pittsburgh - American Eagle Outfitters and Aerie are launching the "Ultimate Road Trip" sweepstakes in stores nationwide and online from March 7 through March 18. Entrants have the opportunity to win a grand prize of a restored Volkswagen Westfalia valued at approximately $25,000 and $10,000 in cash to create their own ultimate road trip experience.

By Hyaat Chaudhary, CEO, Carbon Media Group

At a time when the traditional separation between online and brick-and-mortar retailers is blurring, brands need to be smarter to win on the digital front. The ability to establish a presence online — and to capitalize on digital marketing and promotions driven by social media and other online tools — is no longer a luxury: it is a necessity.

Ace Hardware is taking an omnichannel approach to paint promotions with a new “31 Days of Color” campaign.

The Oak Brook, Ill.-based co-op has launched a customization-focused paint experience that allows customers on acehardware.com, on social media and in-store to be inspired with new paint colors and renovate.

Norcross, Ga. - Waffle House Inc. is partnering with mobile app-based shipping platform to become the first official “Roadie Roadhouse.” Roadie connects people with items to send with drivers who are already heading in the right direction.

Waffle House will offer Roadie drivers free food and beverages at its more than 1,750 restaurants in 25 states, and provide a meeting location for drivers and senders. Roadies get a free waffle upon downloading the app and a free beverage when they're making a delivery.

Target is raising the stakes in the free online shipping game by undercutting not only Walmart but now also Amazon.com.

Target announced it has lowered the threshold for free shipping on online orders to $25, making it among the most competitive among major retailers. Its previous free-shipping minimum was $50, which placed it in the higher end of the spectrum.

Minneapolis – While some retailers have been raising their spending threshold for free shipping in the past year or so, Target Corp. is taking the opposite approach. Target now offers free shipping for orders of $25 or more. The retailer said the price cut follows an enthusiastic response to its free-shipping offer during the holiday shopping season.

That is half the $50 minimum Target previously required for free shipping. The free rate applies to standard shipments that take three to five business days to arrive.

New York – Loyalty brand agency Bond Brand Loyalty, a Maritz company, has launched SynapzeSHOP, a new consumer mobile loyalty solution for CPG brands. With SynapzeSHOP, brands can offer consumers a personalized, branded mobile loyalty and rewards experience.

Foothill Ranch, Calif. – The Wet Seal Inc. wants customers to have a social online shopping experience. Wet Seal will utilize 3 Tier Logic's Platform3 consumer-to-consumer content marketing and data mining platform to increase the quantity and duration of website visits and the conversion of those visits to generate more e-commerce transactions.