Coupons/ Rebates/ Pricing

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -- Sears Holdings announced that it has been named the 2011 Energy Star Partner of the Year (Product Retailer Category) by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This is the second year running that Sears Holdings has been awarded this honor for empowering its customers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and through its numerous initiatives focusing on educating customers about energy-efficient products.

WASHINGTON -- The National Retail Federation said legislation introduced today to delay swipe fee reform scheduled to go into effect this summer would block retailers from giving discounts to consumers who use debit cards and would cost merchants and the public more than $1 billion per month.

New York City -- A report released Tuesday by payment system provider ACI Worldwide found that many retail loyalty programs leave consumers feeling underappreciated and many consumers are enrolled in a program they don’t completely understand.

Product assortments have been restored, feature displays are back in most store aisles, and now Walmart is looking to restore sales growth with a new ad campaign beginning next month that reacquaints shoppers with the company’s core value proposition.

PLANO, Texas -- JCPenney is giving underprivileged teens the chance to have their very own prom dress, while at the same time encouraging those more fortunate to give to a worthy cause. The company announced that from March 13 through April 2, customers can donate their gently worn prom dresses at one of more than 1,100 JCPenney stores nationwide.

True Value has announced the introduction of a 2-in-1 -- paint plus primer -- paint called EasyCare Platinum. The new paint promises a one-coat solution to painting projects because it eliminates the need for a primer.

EasyCare Platinum will be available in all the colors offered in the Chicago co-op’s EasyCare line, including Flat Enamel, Satin and Semi-Gloss finishes. EasyCare Platinum is mildew-resistant and backed by a lifetime warranty.

New York City -- The Arkansas Senate voted Thursday to require many out-of-state online retailers to collect sales taxes the same way in-state stores do, a move that is pitting Wal-Mart Stores against online stores and anti-tax activists, the Associated Press reported.

An over-the-counter version of the antihistamine Allegra hit the marketplace this past Friday amid a promotional frenzy that was consistent with the approach taken when similar products such as Claritin and Zyrtec became available without a prescription. As was the case with other products before it, retailers are eager to get their share of sales so there tends to be considerable activity around the launch.

NEW YORK -- Consumers always want more. Whether it is a thinner, lighter iPad, a faster car or a muffin with more blueberries. The same is true in the world of coupons where a stumbling national economy caused shoppers to demand more coupons from consumer packaged goods companies.