Coupons/ Rebates/ Pricing

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation has announced plans to formally oppose a proposed settlement of a federal antitrust lawsuit over credit card swipe fees charged by Visa and MasterCard. NRF is also urging retailers to carefully consider their own decisions before next week’s deadline set by the court.

NEW YORK — D’Agostino Supermarkets is partnering with online discount provider Aisle50 to offer exclusive deals and discounts on national, local grocery and consumer packaged goods brands.

NEW YORK — Macy’s is getting ready for its eighth annual national Shop for a Cause charity shopping event, to be held Saturday, Aug. 24, and the retailer is inviting eligible charities to sign up now. 

The one-day-only shopping event was created to support local charities’ fundraising efforts. Since 2006, the event has helped raise more than $46 million for thousands of charities nationwide. In 2012, more than 7,000 charities signed up to participate. 

Houston -- Stage Stores reported a loss of $6.9 million for the first quarter, compared with a loss of $418,000 for the year-ago period, as the retailer dealt with cool weather that put a damper on sales of spring apparel.
 
"The unseasonably cool weather in March and April, particularly when compared to last year's warm spring, strongly impacted our sales performance," president and CEO Michael Glazer said.

Revenue rose 4% to $378.6 million from $365.7 million. Same-store sales inched up 0.7%.
 

HUDSON, Ohio — Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores plans to honor past and present members of the armed forces with its Military Discount Days — a four-day, in-store-only event Memorial Day weekend.

Beachwood, Ohio -- DDR Corp. announced a strategic agreement with MobileBits Holdings Corp., provider of SAMY, a mobile marketing and engagement platform, to acquire DDR's proprietary location-based mobile marketing solution ValuText.

MobileBits will integrate the ValuText product into the SAMY solution and will make the solution available to DDR tenants and shopping centers. SAMY is an innovative 'mobile mall' application that allows shoppers to gain instant access to the latest discounts, coupons and loyalty cards, via their mobile devices.

CINCINNATI — Vantiv, a leading provider of payment processing services and related technology solutions for merchants and financial institutions, is combining point-of-sale redemption technology with the Visa Offers platform for cardholders and merchants of all sizes. 

The upgraded technology will help drive additional value at the point-of-sale. 

NEW YORK — Target is beta testing a new app that allows users to save on items and share deals on Facebook.

A Bullseye View, Target's online magazine, announced the introduction of Cartwheel, where people can find offers on products by browsing the system or looking at friends' activites, and add up to 10 of their favorites to a list. Once a red check appears in the corner of the offer card, the item can be purchased, and customers can either print a special barcode from their desktop computers or use their mobile devices in-store to access it.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Acosta Sales & Marketing, a leading full-service sales and marketing agency in the consumer packaged goods industry, is partnering with the Wounded Warrior Project to hold the 2013 Believe in Heroes campaign. 

Princeton – A substantially higher percentage of Americans (60%) would rather save money than spend it (37%), according to a new Gallup poll. Consumer show little difference in these preferences according to demographic categories such as age, gender, education and political party.