Digital Marketing

New York – In a sign of just how competitive the upcoming holiday season is expected to be, Macy’s said that most of its stores will open at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving evening. It’s the first time in its history that the company will be open for business on the holiday.

New York – Duane Reade is running a three week, omnichannel social media marketing campaign to raise awareness of Duane Reade brand hosiery products. The "Boo-tiful Legs" Halloween contest calls for entrants to upload their original photos wearing Duane Reade brand hosiery with their Halloween costume, via a Duane Reade Facebook page FanGate, through Nov. 3.

Macy’s plans to get a jump on Black Friday and break tradition by opening the doors to most of its locations nationwide at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving evening, making it the first time in its history that the retailer will be open for business on the holiday.

Limited-time specials in every department for hundreds of items include exclusive fragrances, name-brand apparel and kitchen gadgets. Macy's will also donate $2 to Make-a-Wish, up to $100,000, for any One Direction "Our Moment" fragrance purchase beginning at opening for Black Friday.

Amazon.com has unveiled its 2013 holiday toy list which features, for the first time, top toy picks voted on by Amazon Mom fans and an enhanced Holiday Gift Finder that allows shoppers to filter by age, gender, interests, brands and price points.

Chicago -- Consumers value the retail store experience on multiple levels and continue to make the vast majority of their purchases in stores, according to a new study from global management consulting firm A.T. Kearney. The report found that the physical store is the channel of choice across all ages (from Millennial to senior citizens) and household income levels (from less than $25,000 per year to more than $100,000 per year).

SAP demonstrated a concept consumer app called “Snap” at its recent Retail Forum in Dallas. Snap provides customers with interactive 3-D assembly instructions for a vast array of products. The instructions are pulled from manufacturer CAD files and delivered via cloud after the customer scans a product barcode or QR code, with options such as zoom and audio. Snap even lets shoppers register products for warranties and automatically request replacement parts.

Woonsocket, R.I. – CVS is reportedly offering a new program to its ExtraCare loyalty program members, called myWeeklyAd, which creates a personalized profile with targeted product offers based on previous purchases. According to Wall St. Cheat Sheet, CVS spent about $7 million on the omnichannel program which is available on PC, tablet and smartphone.

Ace Brand from 3M Company has enlisted actor and rapper LL Cool J to help it kick off “A” Game Challenge, a nationwide contest inviting sports fans and aspiring young athletes nationwide ages 13-24 to submit “A” Game video entries, for a chance to win a $10,000 scholarship.

PetSmart is leveraging a Halloween costume contest to drive traffic to stores. The specialty retailer is holding the contest Saturday, Oct. 19 at stores nationwide, as well as locations in Canada and Puerto Rico.

As added incentive for pet parents to take their costumed furry friends to stores to participate, PetSmart is offering the first 50 pets in costume at each store between 9 and 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19 free treats from Dentastix and Temptations, plus a coupon for $1 off a Bret Michaels Pets Rock toy purchase.

New York – Halston is launching its digital flagship store in more than 80 countries today, including the U.S., and Canada. The vertical e-commerce site will feature Halston Heritage apparel and accessories. The brand is also expanding its physical presence, with plans to expand to more than 20 locations by yearend.