Coupons/ Rebates/ Pricing

WAYNE, N.J. — Toys"R"Us has become the latest retailer to join the trend of starting "Black Friday" on Thanksgiving night. The company announced that, for the first time, it will open its doors at 9 p.m. on Nov. 24. On Nov. 24, customers will also find the company's Thanksgiving-weekend circular, whichis filled with more than $12,500 in savings, including doorbusters, Thursday through Saturday discounts and free gift-with-purchase offers, Toys"R'Us said.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears Holdings announced that its Sears Outlet stores will honor competitor's Black Friday ads through Nov. 30. Customers may bring in a Black Friday ad they find online, and if Sears Outlet has the same item model, brand and color in the store, they will match the price at the time of purchase, even if it is before Black Friday. Full price match details are available at www.searsoutlet.com/holidaypricematch.

NEW YORK — Further proof that the sluggish economy is affecting higher-income households much less than lower-income households can be found in the quarterly profits of Dillard's and Nordstrom's, which both reported earnings this week.

Dillard’s Inc. reported Friday that profit for the quarter ended Oct. 29 soared a record 85% to $26.6 million, compared with $14.4 million in the year-ago period. Strong comps and contained expenses propelled the strong performance.

By Dan Pahomi and Peter Leith, [email protected]

Promotions are a key element in any retailer’s arsenal of tools to help drive customer traffic. They are especially important during the holiday season. And, in an economy still fraught with uncertainty, some customers are hardwired only to purchase products on sale. Promotions are crucial for retailers to communicate when new products are available and when they are offering discounts for the items their shoppers want to buy.

PALO ALTO, Calif. — Old Navy has become the latest retailer to partner with Shopkick, a shopping mobile app that rewards shoppers for walking into stores. Customers who have the shopkick app on their smartphones will be able to receive walk-in rewards at any of Old Navy's nearly 1,000 U.S. locations, Shopkick reported. To celebrate, Old Navy will offer $10 off of a $40 purchase plus 150 Shopkick reward points for the partnership's first weekend (Nov.

SALISBURY, N.C. — In honor of Veterans Day on Friday, Nov. 11, Food Lion, Harveys and Reid's stores will offer a 10% discount to active and retired military personnel to show their support and appreciation for those who are currently serving or have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, the retailers, which are part of Delhaize Group, reported.  To receive the discount, active military, reservists and veterans should request the discount at check-out along with their MVP card.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Sam's Club announced that it is inviting customers to "try before they buy" and plan their holiday menus at the ninth annual Holiday Taste of Sam's Club event. Showcasing dozens of food and beverage items at multiple sampling booths in each of its 610 Sam's Club locations, the event takes place from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. each day from Friday Nov. 18 through Sunday Nov. 20.

New York City -- The Conference Board reported Wednesday that U.S. households are expected to spend an average of $497 on gifts this holiday season. Just 7% of consumers said they plan to spend more on holiday gifts this year, while approximately 40% plan on spending less than last year.

New York City -- U.S. households are expected to spend an average of $497 on gifts this holiday season, The Conference Board reported. Only 7% of consumers said they plan to spend more on holiday gifts this year, while approximately 49% plan on spending less than last year.

The survey of holiday gift spending intentions, based on a probability-design random sample, is conducted for The Conference Board by Nielsen. It was conducted in October. 

Palo Alto, Calif. -- Shopkick, the location-based shopping app, announced that Old Navy has joined its partner alliance, with Shopkick walk-in rewards to be live in all of Old Navy's nearly 1,000 U.S. locations. To celebrate, Old Navy will offer $10 off of a $40 purchase plus 150 Shopkick reward points for the partnership's first weekend (Nov. 10 – Nov. 13), available exclusively through the Shopkick app.