Coupons/ Rebates/ Pricing

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.

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.

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.

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%.

Suffern, N.Y. — Ascena Retail Group Inc. said Wednesday that its fiscal third-quarter profit rose 8% on increased sales at its Dressbarn, Maurices and Justice clothing stores.

The retailer, formerly known as The Dress Barn Inc., reported net income of $51.8 million for the three months ended April 30, up from $48 million in the year-ago period.

Revenue rose 9% to $722.8 million from $665.5 million in the same quarter a year ago. Dressbarn revenue rose 5% in the quarter, and Maurices revenue jumped 17%. Justice sales rose 6%.