Digital Marketing

While the United States continues to experience slow, yet steady economic growth, the future of the domestic retail industry remains unclear as businesses are forced to adapt to a world where consumers are more cost-conscious than ever before. Amidst this challenging climate, retailers must be smarter at understanding their customers, products and the experiences they offer.

Revisiting Brand and Revenue Expansion Strategies

The opening of more than 100 stores in the third quarter helped Michael Kors increase revenues, although same-store sales were more moderated.

Soft Surroundings has completed a dividend recapitalization that was financed through an expansion of the existing credit facility.

The women’s lifestyle retailer is in the midst of a nationwide store expansion strategy, and the new debt financing includes a designated facility to fund future store openings. The company opened 11 new stores in 2015 and has identified over 15 locations for 2016.

Target is debuting its new Who What Wear fashion collection this week and a stylish group gathered in New York City to celebrate the highly anticipated launch and take a sneak peek at the line.

A star-studded event last week included actress and The  Honest Company founder Jessica Alba, actresses Kate Bosworth and Jaime King and Target Stylist Zanna Roberts Rassi, who hosted a livestream of the event on Periscope.

Food Lion is feeling good about recently reaching the milestone of 1 million Facebook fans, and is sharing the positive vibes.

In recognition of this social media achievement, Food Lion is donating 1 million meals to those in need. The meals will be donated to Feeding America in the form of a monetary donation (Feeding America provides an average of 11 meals for every dollar donated) and distributed evenly among 30 local Feeding America member food banks within the grocer's service area. The donation will span across its 10-state footprint.

Shake Shack and Uber have digitally collaborated on customer experience with a little help from Visa Inc.

In December 2015, New York-based, 66-unit Shake Shack and Uber utilized the new Visa Commerce Network to offer a cross-promotion. Built on the VisaNet electronic payment network and accessible through application programming interfaces (APIs), Visa Commerce Network works by connecting transactions between two merchants.

Rite Aid on Thursday announced a big push behind its unique loyalty card offering wellness+ with Plenti - beginning Jan. 31, Rite Aid is offering its wellness+ with Plenti members the opportunity to earn 5,000 Plenti points when they spend up to $200 on participating products in stores or online. During Rite Aid’s “Big Point Event,” which runs through Feb. 27, customers can make multiple visits and purchases to reach the reward thresholds to earn up to 5,000 Plenti points.

Shoppers frustrated by an inability to find trendy ethnic clothing will soon been able to access all manner of African inspired apparel via a new platform designed to connect buyers and sellers.

Scheduled to launch April 11, Boutique Africaine will serve as an online marketplace for ethnic clothing, accessories, and home and living items – and serve as yet another reminder of how the Internet enables the creation of new retail business models to serve the perceived unmet needs of niche consumer segments.