Digital Marketing

Walmart and its financial services partners have added a loyalty component to credit, debit and prepaid card offerings that provide an extra incentive to make online purchase.

Starbucks is one of the first brands to leverage a new music and entertainment media platform from PlayNetwork.

To further increase both customer and employee engagement, Starbucks can now enable partners (employees) to select in-store playlists and provide a uniquely curated listening experience for customers. The chain is using the platform in more than 7,500 U.S. stores.

When it comes to buying products, consumers are particular about who and what they trust to get advice.

According to a survey of nearly 14,000 adults conducted in early March by social retail technology provider Collective Bias, Facebook and YouTube are the most persuasive social channels for consumer purchases. About 19% of consumers find Facebook to influence their purchasing decision most, with YouTube coming in second at nearly 18%. YouTube is especially popular with men (23%) compared to women (14%).

One of the most buzzed-about retail brands is setting up shop — temporarily — in some hip hotels.

Canadian apparel retailer Kit and Ace is opening a a series of pop-ups in collaboration with luxury hotels in major cities across the globe. The pop-up, called “The Carry-on,” will make its debut in April, at the Hotel Zetta in San Francisco (for full listing, see end of article). It will offer a selection of easy-pack, carry-on essentials from Kit and Ace.

Leveraging its status as a leading lingerie retailer, Victoria’s Secret has released the 2016 edition of its “What is Sexy?” list compiled with social media input to support the launch of several new product lines.

Signet Jewelers is already the world’s largest retailer of diamond jewelry and it plans to get even bigger in 2016 by accelerating new store and omnichannel growth.
 
Operating stores under banners such as Kay, Jared and Zale, Signet reported a 4.9% fourth quarter same-store sales increase, better than expected profits and said it would open more new stores in 2016 than it previously indicated.
 

Signet Jewelers is already the world’s largest retailer of diamond jewelry and it plans to get even bigger in 2016 by accelerating new store and omnichannel growth. The news came as the chain reported a same-store sales increase of 4.9% in the fourth quarter.

Online cashback shopping platform Ebates is branching more heavily into the mobile shopping arena with the acquisition of mobile product discovery app Shopular.

Redwood City, California-based Shopular has more than a million users and offers an intuitive product discovery experience and mobile shopping alerts. Leveraging proprietary geo-targeting technology, the app notifies consumers with relevant deals and coupons when they are near select stores.

Home furnishings retailer RH is rolling out a new membership program that aims to reimagine the luxury shopping experience by adding an element of exclusivity.

The company has announced the launch of the RH Grey Card. For a $100 annual fee, the RH Grey Card provides 25% savings on everything RH, every day, across all of its brands – RH, RH Modern, RH Baby & Child, RH TEEN and RH Contemporary Art.