Coupons/ Rebates/ Pricing

CHICAGO ─ Faced with rising food costs, U.S. consumers are turning to the cost savings tactics they’ve mastered over the past few years, according to The NPD Group.

It’s all about the ladies this week at Target as the retailer’s promotional emphasis shifted to spring-time seasonal apparel and related accessories and categories. A quartet of youthful and exuberant models wearing Mossimo and Merona brand dresses were featured on the cover of the weekly ad at the sale price of $17.99. A slightly younger demographic is targeted on the page two and three spread with two groups of three girls sporting Xhilaration and Mossimo Supply Co. styles for $17.99.

Target plans to give away one million reusable shopping bags on Sunday, April 17 in line with the release of its weekly ad featuring an assortment of environmentally-friendly products in conjunction with Earth Day on April 22.

Target is scheduled to release monthly sales for March this Thursday, and the company has already indicated its same-store sales figures won’t be pretty due to the late arrival of Easter. The holiday isn’t until April 24 this year, so the bulk of sales related to Easter will occur in April whereas last year Easter fell on April 4, so a greater percentage of seasonal sales fell in March.

MONTVALE, N.J. — Grocer A&P is launching a discount program that offers seniors savings on groceries purchased at A&P, Pathmark, Waldbaum's, Food Emporium and Superfresh banner stores.

On April 4, the company is launching its "Senior Appreciation Days" program, starting with "Senior Appreciation Mondays," a new special discount program for seniors in all Pathmark banner stores.

No one disputes the philosophy that every day low prices enabled Walmart to achieve dramatic growth, but pricing studies continue to reveal a marketplace where price separation relative to competitors has become difficult to achieve.

When Walmart executives speak about prices, inflation or the nation’s economic condition their comments create quite a stir, and that’s what we saw again this week when Bill Simon spoke to USA Today.

WASHINGTON -- The National Retail Federation announced that it welcomed Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's commitment to complete final swipe fee reform regulations in time for retailers to begin offering customers discounts and other benefits this summer as scheduled.