Digital Marketing

Charlotte, N.C. – Nothing succeeds like success, and 300-plus-store department store chain Belk Inc. took a previously successful TV holiday campaign and modernized it for the omnichannel era, with impressive results.

Foothill Ranch, Calif. – The Wet Seal Inc. wants customers to have a social online shopping experience. Wet Seal will utilize 3 Tier Logic's Platform3 consumer-to-consumer content marketing and data mining platform to increase the quantity and duration of website visits and the conversion of those visits to generate more e-commerce transactions.

New York – Loyalty brand agency Bond Brand Loyalty, a Maritz company, has launched SynapzeSHOP, a new consumer mobile loyalty solution for CPG brands. With SynapzeSHOP, brands can offer consumers a personalized, branded mobile loyalty and rewards experience.

London – Specialty luxury retailer Michael Kors Holdings has joined the ranks of Snapchat users. According to DigiDay, Michael Kors debuted on Snapchat earlier this week during New York Fashion Week, launching exclusive photos from Fashion Week on Snapchat.

Michael Kors has had a longtime social media presence, and was the first retailer to buy an ad on Instagram. Other New York Fashion Week social media activities for Michael Kors included live Internet streaming of the show and a live Twitter chat with the hashtag #AllAccessKors.

London – U.K.-based fashion retailer Topshop is teaming up with Twitter for an omnichannel promotion tied to London Fashion Week. Starting Friday, Feb. 20, the first day of London Fashion Week, Topshop will be analyzing Twitter trends to determine the real-time buzz around apparel and accessories being displayed on Fashion Week runways.

New York - Retail sales in the U.S. will reach $4.87 trillion for the full year 2015. According to EMarketer analysis, this represents a 4% increase from 2014.

U.S. retail e-commerce sales will total approximately $350 billion in 2015, up 14% from $305.7 billion the prior year. Despite rapid growth, retail ecommerce will still account for just 7% of total retail sales in the U.S. during the current year, EMarketer estimates.

The brand rennaissance of apparel e-retailer ShoeBuy is complete: The company has relaunched its e-commerce site after taking cues from customer feedback and consumer research.

The 15-year old retailer founded in Boston aims to deliver a more intuitive website, a refreshed rewards program and a commitment to building an engaging shopping experience. New features added to the ShoeBuy shopping experience include a virtual fitting tool, expert insights and blogs, customer reviews, and online customer service chat.

Rite Aid is hoping to unleash a torrent of new product innovation by tapping into the minds of the shoppers who walk store aisles wondering, "Wouldn't it be nice if they had ..."

The retailer has announced the launch of its first-ever Innovation Challenge, a nationwide search for original product ideas that will improve the health and well-being of Rite Aid customers.

Merrillville, Ind. - Homeowners looking to upgrade their backyard in time for summer can now enter membership-based buying club DirectBuy’s “Backyard Dream-Over” sweepstakes for a chance to win outdoor furniture, appliances, and more. DirectBuy is utilizing gamification techniques by letting consumers play a game on mobile phone, PC or tablet for a chance to win up to 600 sweepstakes entries while learning about DirectBuy.

Whole Foods is putting its motto -- whole foods, whole people, whole planet -- to the test with a new initiative to alleviate poverty through microcredit.

The retailer is partnering with its own Whole Planet Foundation on an effort to raise $5 million in 42 days to fund microlending programs worldwide.