Coupons/ Rebates/ Pricing

CINCINNATI — Kroger on Wednesday launched a new website in support of its Comforts line of baby products, the grocer announced. 

ComfortsForBaby.com will enable busy moms to access and exchange ideas online, offering a community where mothers can share their insights and experiences parenting newborns, infants and toddlers. The website is available in English and Spanish, with the Hispanic microsite designed specifically to engage Latina moms. 

MINNEAPOLIS — Target announced that it will once again offer its "Back in Black Friday" online-only sale on July 15. The sale will start around midnight (PST) and end at 11:59 p.m. at Target.com/BlackFriday.

“Target is always looking at ways to provide our guests with outstanding value,” said Steve Eastman, president of Target.com. “Our Back in Black Friday online-only sale is a great example – offering our guests a summer Black Friday with thousands of deals on their favorite products.”

MINNEAPOLIS — Free Standing Insert coupon activity dropped 3.9% over the first six months of 2011 versus the same time period a year ago, Marx, a Kantar Media solution, reported on Wednesday. 

The decline is the first reported in the first half of the year since 2008, when there was a 3.4% decline. 

“After several years of significant growth, FSI coupon activity may be stabilizing while more integrated print and digital coupon promotion tactics are emerging,” stated Mark Nesbitt, president of Kantar Media Intelligence North America.

SUNBURY, Pa. — Weis Markets announced it has lowered the prices on 1,600 staple items and that it will freeze these new lower prices for ninety days through Oct. 8.  It is the company's seventh 90-day price freeze program over the past two and a half years.

Major retailers dialed back the number of ads inserts and the number of pages in June when compared to the prior year, according to Market Track. Click here to view promotional activity for the 16 of the nation’s leading retailers.

New York City -- Most retailers surprised Wall Street with better-than-expected monthly sales results in June, as bargains led shoppers to spend more. June is the second most important month on a retailers' sales calendar behind December. It is June that stores typically clear out summer merchandise to make room for fall goods.

MONTVALE, N.J. — A&P has launched a new program offering exclusive discounts to pet owners across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Connecticut. The program is a collaboration with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 

By now, any digital marketing executive realizes that with more than 700 million users worldwide, Facebook’s “population” would make it the third largest nation in the world, and a platform that is too big to ignore. And just like any other country, there are some fundamental elements required to feed and foster the populace (aka – your customers, potential customers and fans). 

NEW YORK — Rising gas prices has consumers cutting down on grocery shopping and many turning to the discount stores over traditional food retailers, according to the latest research from TNS.

The higher cost of gas is good news for discount stores, as 32% of those surveyed are choosing to shop there over traditional retail outlets. However, when they shop, they are buying less.

MCKINNEY, Texas — Blockbuster L.L.C. announced that customers can now get unlimited kids and family movies on either DVD or Blu-ray for $4.99 a month (one movie out at a time) with the new Kids Summer Pass. A two-movie and three-movie pass are also available for  $9.98 and $14.97, respectively.