Coupons/ Rebates/ Pricing

Toys "R"Usenhanced its layaway program by dropping some fees and Walmart quickly responded.

Toys "R" Us dropped the $5 service fee and minimum purchase requirement from its layaway program in a bid to capture sales of those who begin their holiday shopping early.The company said it changed the rules for its layaway program, instituted in 2009, to waive the $5 upfront service fee and eliminate the minimum purchase requirement for all orders created in stores through October 31.

Wayne, N.J. -- Toys “R” Us said Tuesday that it will waive upfront service fees for its holiday layaway program, kicking off immediately and running through Oct. 31.

The retailer will also remove its minimum purchase requirement, and customers have until Dec. 16 to pick up orders.

Year-round layaway programs will continue, but will have the customary $5 service fee attached.

New York -- The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index climbed to a better-than-expected 74.3, compared to 72.3 in July and representing a three-month high.

Aggressive retail discounting and record-low interest rates boosted the results, but unemployment remains a big concern. 

“Confidence is lackluster,” Jim O’Sullivan, chief U.S. economist for High Frequency Economics Ltd., told Bloomberg. “It typifies the economy right now. It’s not strong, but not collapsing either.”

CINCINNATI— Kroger is extending its summer fuel savings program through the fall and holiday seasons. Customers can now earn and redeem fuel points to save up to $2.00 off per gallon at Kroger Family of Stores Fuel Centers through Dec. 31.

"At our customers' request we are pleased to extend our special offer doubling potential fuel savings up to $2.00 per gallon through the busy fall and holiday shopping seasons," said Michael Donnelly, Kroger's SVP of merchandising.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart is bringing Americans some much-wanted relief at the pump this fall and winter with the return of its "Great Gas Rollback" program.

Schaumburg, Ill. -- Consumers focus on savings when they log in to their digital devices to shop for groceries, according to a new study from Nielsen. The top weekly U.S. activities related to grocery shopping on a connected device, ranging from a mobile phone to  tablet, included reading online grocery circulars (62%), looking for coupons online (55%) and browsing a manufacturer’s website for a grocery category (55%).
 

Shoppers are hungry for convenience and value and Target continues to deliver both.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Walmart will offer holders of its gift cards, credit cards and prepaid debit cards a discount on gasoline of up to 15 cents a gallon until Dec. 24, 2012.
 
The program will offer shoppers using a Walmart gift card a 10-cents-per-gallon discount. Those who use a Walmart MoneyCard or Walmart credit card will save 15 cents per gallon. The discounts will be available at more than 1,000 Murphy USA and Wal-Mart gas stations in 20 states.