Digital Marketing

Indianapolis - Lids Sports Group has upgraded its inventory management system so that the retailer now provides consumers access to companywide inventory in retail stores, as well as its centrally located distribution centers. By implementing this improvement, thousands of styles and teams that were previously only available in stores are now available to fans everywhere.

Indianapolis – Just in time for the annual college basketball championship tournament, Hhgregg is running an omnichannel “March Markdown” promotion. From March 16 – April 6, customers can enter up to four times per day via Facebook, online, or by sharing the Hhgregg “Acrobatic Dunk Madness” video.

Boston – Omnichannel beer/wine/liquor delivery service Drizly is relaunching its mobile app, website and branding. New features of the site and app include ratings, reviews and rich media content; storable “favorite” orders and address books; smart searches that deliver results as users type; and the ability to share Drizly with friends and send gifts.

Drizly’s new digital interface also enables immersive brand experiences with alcohol products; rich content placements; and sponsored listings.

Menlo Park, Calif. – Facebook has purchased personalized shopping engine TheFind.com, with the intent of making its ad more relevant to individual users. The social media giant will integrate TheFind’s functionality into its personalized ad-matching capability, rather than keep TheFind operating as a separate entity.

In a message on its homepage, TheFind said some employees will make the transition to Facebook.

New York – Barnes & Noble Inc. is launching the #NookReadingStyle sweepstakes, designed to inspire book lovers to share their reading style on their Facebook pages and other social media channels. From March 16-31, participants can enter for a chance to win prizes including Nook e-readers and Barnes & Noble gift cards by completing the sweepstakes entry form on the Nook Facebook page.

Barnes & Noble is trying to generate excitement around its struggling Nook products with a giveaway tied to social media.

The retailer says the #NOOKReadingStyle Sweepstakes is designed to inspire book lovers to share their reading style on their Facebook pages and other social media channels. Through March 31, participants can enter for a chance to win exciting prizes, including a $500 Gilt E-Gift Card, a Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK and 100 $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Cards by completing the sweepstakes entry form on the NOOK Facebook page.

Minneapolis - Retailer participation in freestanding insert (FSI) coupon events and digital coupons distributed on retailer websites benefited from double-digit increases in 2014 compared to 2013. According to data from Marx, a Kantar Media solution, those participation rates were up 11.8% and 16.5%, respectively.

York, Pa. – An insurance settlement from a store damaged by fire helped The Bon-Ton Stores Inc. increase net income in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 to $71.7 million, up 17% from net income of $61.3 million in the same quarter of the previous fiscal year.

Sales grew 3%to $942.6 million from $914.9 million. Top-performing merchandise categories included cold weather and active apparel and home. The company continued its trend of double-digit sales growth in e-commerce in the period. Same-store sales rose 4.3%.

Another online company has entered the physical retail space: Google has opened an in-store shop in Currys PC World, on Tottenham Court Road in London.

Chicago – A majority (82%) of shoppers look for coupons before grocery shopping, according to the Market Track 2015 Shopper Insight Survey. And 61% of grocery shoppers look for both print and digital coupons.

In contrast, only 33% look for print coupons. Other findings include that nearly 80% of shoppers will switch where they shop if prices are lower elsewhere, and 75% will switch the brand they buy if a different brand is on sale.