Digital Marketing

Washington, D.C. – Back-to-school sales are expected to be flat this coming season, according to the 2011 Back-to-School survey, issued Thursday by the National Retail Federation and conducted by BIGresearch. The study showed that families with children in grades K-12 will spend an average of $603.63 on apparel, school supplies and electronics, a few dollars short of last year’s $606.40 average.

NEW YORK — Gilt Groupe, an online retailer that specializes in selling sought-after brands at discounted prices to its 3.5 million members, has partnered with Banana Republic to offer its members exclusive access to select pieces from the retailer's upcoming "Mad Men" collection.

New York City -- Athletic apparel, footwear and accessories marketer Under Armour has opened its first European outlet store, in Madrid, Spain.

Baltimore -- A white paper released Tuesday by marketing communications firm Vertis Communications, entitled “power2thewomen2.0: the Shopping Trend Revolution Continues,” revealed that women wield formidable purchasing power, controlling approximately $5 trillion in spending annually, but that how they interact with retailers and marketers differs greatly.

Colorado Springs, Colo. -- Addison, Texas-based Coyote Management, L.P. and Garrison Investment Group, through their affiliates, acquired Chapel Hills Mall on June 1, and since have made changes that include a new ad campaign themed “Where to Shop.”

Launched July 1, the campaign offers the message: ‘Shop here because we have what you need’ and is being communicated through radio, television, newspaper, direct mail, in-mall signage, wall graphics and interior and exterior banners.

NEW YORK — Aeropostale announced that it has launced a rewards program for its children's retail brand, P.S. from Aeropostale. 

New York City -- A survey released Tuesday by Deloitte found that 87.7% of shoppers believe prices in food stores are escalating and 74% say the size of some packaged goods is smaller.

According to Deloitte’s new “2011 Consumer Food and Product Insight Survey,” thanks to higher food prices and rising gas prices, 72.7% of consumers are making fewer trips to the grocery store to save money and 40.8% are purchasing fewer items overall.

At least one retail analyst saw Target’s Black Friday in July promotion last week as an exercise in creative marketing and evidence that even bigger things could be coming this fall when the retailer ends a relationship with Amazon and brings its online efforts in-house.

Citigroup retail analyst Deb Weinswig said the Black Friday promotion “should also help to reinforce Target as a destination for deals and value ahead of the up-coming back-to-school and holiday seasons.”