Coupons/ Rebates/ Pricing

Insight into consumers’ buying behaviors is important in order for advertisers and retailers to reach this elusive shopper who is seeking not only to save money but to save time. Consumers’ continued interest in coupons and savings has been influenced, in part, by concerns over their own personal economic situations. Today, faced with rising food and gas prices, consumers are seeking ways to offset these increases. 

LOS ANGELES — Back-to-school shopping will likely take place even later this year than in 2010, as consumers hope to score last-minute deals, the latest forecast from PriceGrabber reveals. PriceGrabber, a part of Experian, found that 95% of consumers are planning to use some sort of money saving technique when back-to-school shopping, and they plan to start shopping later in 2011 than they did in 2010.

Some companies were more aggressive with promotions last months and others were less so, but Target held steady producing the same number of circular ad pages (109) in May 2011, and it did the same month the prior year, according to data collected by the Chicago based firm Market Track.

MCKINNEY, Texas — Blockbuster announced that it is rewarding good students with its "Good Grades, Free Rental" program. Children in kindergarten through 12th grade who earn a B average or better on their report cards can head to participating Blockbuster stores nationwide to receive a free, one-day, non-new release movie rental.

The number of planned store closures at Talbot’s was bumped to 110 units recently when the company reported disappointing first-quarter results and indicated most of the underperforming units would close during the second half of the year.

CHICAGO and CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and SPRINGFIELD, Mass. and BOSTON — Through a partnership with Incentive Targeting and HaloEffect, Big Y Foods will become the first grocery retailer to offer Groupon deals digitally loaded to shoppers’ loyalty cards, the companies announced.

Hingham, Mass. -- The Talbots reported Tuesday that first-quarter profit was $739,000, compared with a loss of $4.4 million in the year-ago period. However, net sales dropped 6% to $301.3 million, compared with $320.7 million in the same period last year, and consolidated same-store sales decreased 7.7%.

Results missed Wall Street estimates and the company has lowered its second quarter outlook.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Winn-Dixie Stores has announced its creation of a “hurricane preparedness kit” in advance of what is expected to be an extremely active year.

GLENDALE, Calif. — Disney Consumer Products has created a new line of branded baby products, the first of which is an infant bodysuit made of 100% cotton. The Disney "Cuddly Bodysuit" comes with a second row of snaps that allow the bodysuit to “grow” with baby, available on Amazon.com/DisneyBaby this month and at select retailers this fall, the company reported.

Walmart took prices up in April, and the average gap with competitors narrowed to 16.8% from 17.8% the prior month, according to the most recent monthly survey of prices conducted in the Dallas and Chicago markets by Credit Suisse. The firm also found that Walmart has been among the most aggressive in terms of passing through inflation to customers. During the past three months, Walmart’s prices on the 60 food, health and beauty and household items the firm tracks each month increased 2% during the past three months and over the past year prices have risen by 3.6%.