Events

The calendar may only say July, but retailers are already promoting back-to-school.  

Here are four promotional trends the folks at Market Track predict will play out this selling season:

• Retailers/e-retailers creating new mid-year “Black Friday” type events concurrent with Back to School. (e.g., Amazon's Prime Day, Target’s Black Friday in July, etc.)

Barnes & Noble's Get Pop-Cultured campaign is getting a dose of medicine from Dr. Seuss ths month.

Toys"R"Us is supporting the Special Olympics in Los Angeles this year in a new and innovative way.

The retailer is deploying employee volunteers to encourage and cheer on the littlest athletes, as they reach personal victories in a variety of sporting activities. Toys"R"Us has a longstanding commitment to the Special Olympics, and as a Games Level sponsor of the 2015 World Games, is able to help the organization's efforts to bring the benefit of sports to children and adults of all abilities.

Bronto Software has released the 2015 version of its popular Holiday Resource Center to help retailers optimize marketing strategies and drive sale growth.

Office Depot Inc. is thinking teachers first with an omnichannel component at the core of its back-to-school promotion.

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores is launching a new collection that targets shoppers with a love of family, faith and tradition.

The retailer has announced an exclusive product line of more than 200 new prints and decor items from renowned American artist Susan Winget. 

Mall operator Simon knows teen girls are a key part of its consumer base, and it is courting them this summer.

Retailers tend to be at their charitable best during key seasonal periods and that’s been the case with Office Depot and back-to-school season for the past 15 years.

A Food City supermarket in Bristol, Va., has given new meaning to that old merchandising adage, “stack it high and let it fly,” by creating the world’s largest pineapple display.

Seattle – Sales growth outpaced that of expenses during second quarter 2015, leading to a rare report of positive net income at Amazon.com Inc. Amazon reported net income of $92 million, compared to net loss of $126 million the same quarter the prior fiscal year.