Coupons/ Rebates/ Pricing

GRAPEVINE, Texas — GameStop announced that customers can get double the PowerUp Rewards points just by reserving and paying in full on select games by Oct. 16, 2011. Participating games include:

• Assassin's Creed: Revelations

• Batman: Arkham City

• Battlefield 3

• Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

• Super Mario 3D Land

• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

CHICAGO — SymphonyIRI Group on Thursday released a brand report highlighting what elements help drive brand selection and brand loyalty.

QUINCY, Mass. — Stop & Shop has teamed up with Unilever to support hunger relief efforts of Feeding America and its local member food banks.

The companies said that they are donating $150,000 to the organization, which will provide more than 1 million meals to families in need.

FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Stop & Shop has expanded its A+ School Rewards program and is introducing healthy store tours for kids.

The A+ School Rewards program — which allows customers to designate the points they earn for every dollar spent at Stop & Shop to the school or schools of their choice by registering their Stop & Shop card at StopAndShop.com — increase its contribution to help fund schools with a commitment of $2.5 million.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores will introduce a holiday layaway plan effective Oct. 17 through Dec. 16. The program has a minimum layaway purchase of $50, and requires a 10% down payment. If the program is successful, Wal-Mart said it may extend it throughout the year.

When Wal-Mart phased out its previous layaway offer in September 2006, such programs had fallen out of popularity. But Sears and some merchants brought back layaways as the recession cut into spending.

New York — Consumers are spending more, but doing so in fewer transactions, according to American Express Business Insights’ most recent Business Insights Spend Sights report.

The study, which examines spending patterns across several key categories, U.S. cities and demographic groups, finds that while economic uncertainty continues to dampen overall consumer confidence, a new pattern of less frequent but measurable splurging has become evident among a range of customer groups in several categories.

Hingham, Mass. — Talbots Inc. posted a bigger-than-expected second-quarter loss on Wednesday, largely due to increased markdowns. The retailer also said that chief creative officer Michael Smaldone has departed the company, effective immediately.

Talbots reported a net loss of $37.3 million for the period ended July 30, compared with a profit of $941,000 a year earlier. Revenue fell 10% to $271.1 million from $300.7 million. Same-stores sales fell 10.4%.

New York City -- Speaking at the Goldman Sachs 18th Annual Global Retailing Conference in New York City, Myron Ullman III, chairman and CEO of J.C. Penney Co., expressed confidence that the chain is well positioned for the holiday selling season. However, he noted that uncertain economic conditions have caused the chain to pull back on its expectations.

Ullman noted that customers are still purchasing promotionally priced items along with full-priced goods.