Loyalty Marketing

A new NRF survey reports that Father's Day spending this year is expected to reach $12.7 billion.

San Jose, Calif. – Retail sales dropped 7.6% in May 2015 compared to the same month the prior year. According to the monthly Store Performance Pulse from store analytics provider RetailNext, a 9.8% decrease in traffic and 8.3% drop in transactions drove the sales decline.

Much of these declines were concentrated in the third week of the month, leading to an earlier-than-usual Memorial Day weekend.

Sterling, Va. – Sixty-four percent of millennial graduates shopped at Target in the last three months, according to new data by Neustar, Inc. The real-time information services and analytics provider uncovered the buying behavior insights of recent millennial graduates and their preferences.

Some insights include:

St. Petersburg – HSN Inc. is partnering with the Card Services division of Alliance Data Systems Corp. (ADS) to provide private label credit card services for its Cornerstone business unit. Alliance Data will develop loyalty-driven card programs for five of Cornerstone's seven multichannel brands -- Ballard Designs, Frontgate, Garnet Hill, Grandin Road and Improvements – each incorporating a tailored approach for their unique customer base.

The Vitamin Shoppe is hoping to attract more health-conscious shoppers by sponsoring a health expo this month at all 700 of its stores.

All Vitamin Shoppe stores across the country will host a "Share the Health" Expo from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Each store will provide samples of healthy goodies, offer consultations with local wellness partners, plus tips and recipes for healthy living this summer. The first 50 shoppers at each store will receive a free gift bag with product samples from a selection of brands.

Dollar General has hit another milestone, this time in the small town of Juliette, Georgia.

As more retailers increase their sponsorship of gay pride events, Macy's is investing in LGBTQ Pride Month with an exclusive offering of in-store events, parades, commemorative advertising and promotions.

By Jeff Trachsel

Showrooming has plagued brick-and-mortar retailers for years, with e-commerce quickly chipping away at in-store sales. Recently however, experts report the rising trend is actually the reverse - shoppers are now exploring options online before buying in-store. According to a 2014 report from BI Intelligence, reverse showrooming, or webrooming, is actually more common among U.S. consumers, with 69% of consumers researching online before transacting in-store.

Toys“R”Us is launching an innovative social media campaign to raise money for one of the retailer’s most popular causes.

The retailer is hosting its fifth consecutive fundraising campaign to benefit Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure for childhood cancer.

Kohl’s is backing up its commitment to families by sponsoring a museum promotion called Thank You Thursday in Milwaukee.

The retailer will be offering free general admission to the Museum Public Museum on the first Thursday of every month. Kohl’s Thank You Thursday marks the first time ever free general admission has been regularly provided to the public and will kick off on June 4.