Loyalty Marketing

Retailers were effective at getting a record number of Americans to visit stores and Web sites over the weekend, but persuading them to spend money was a different story, according to data released by the National Retail Federation Sunday afternoon.

Early this week, Target began to generate traffic to its e-commerce site ahead of Cyber Week. They offered REDcard holders an exclusive online Black Friday preview sale, and Cartwheel app users Black Friday-like deals.

Cartwheel is the digital savings program that allows guests to choose in-store offers and claim savings directly from their smartphones, which Target began rolling out earlier this year.

San Francisco – U.S. retailers are showing cautious optimism for the upcoming holiday shopping season. According to a survey of 77 U.S, retailers in July 2013 with annual revenue of less than $20 million to $5 billion by e-commerce technology provider Baynote, 38% of respondents project an 11 to 20% year-over-year increase in online sales, with 22% predicting an increase of 21% or more.

Fortified by growing e-commerce sales and time spent across digital channels, the U.S. retail industry will grow its digital ad spending more rapidly this year than in 2012, according to new figures from eMarketer.

By the end of this year, eMarketer predicts, U.S. retailers will have increased digital ad budgets by 15.7% to $9.50 billion, following growth of 14.5% last year.

Free food, double pay and generous merchandise discounts are available to the more than one million Walmart employees called upon to work Thanksgiving weekend.

Walmart on Wednesday highlighted some of the benefits workers at its store will receive this weekend, including a 25% discount off an entire purchase, a Thanksgiving meal throughout Black Friday shifts and double pay for employees willing to endure the madness of Black Friday events scheduled for 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

Toronto -- RBC, Best Buy and Future Shop are partnering to offer a redemption option in Canada that provides clients access to more than 90,000 merchandise and electronic items, through the RBC Rewards online channel.

Boston – College students are planning to buy holiday gifts that offer experiential value or economic flexibility and will frequent discount stores, according to a new survey of roughly 1,000 college students from consumer marketing firm Fluent.

Los Angeles -- Online high-end candy retailer Sugarfina has opened its first-ever store, a 1,400-sq.-ft. boutique in Los Angeles. The brand is known for its signature turquoise Bento Boxes, a luxurious candy gift box, and such “cocktail” candies as Champagne Gummy Bears, Cuba Libre (spiced rum and coke gummies) and Peach Bellini Gummies.