Loyalty Marketing

Chicago -- Extended store hours Thanksgiving weekend promotions were the least successful holiday marketing tactics, according to a survey of retail CFOs by BDO USA. The also report found that, following uneven sales results in December and January, the executives are moderating their expectations for 2013, projecting a 3.2% increase in total store sales, down from last year’s expected 4.5% increase.

In celebration of Random Acts of Kindness Day on Sunday, Feb. 17, Michaels hopes to inspire customers to participate by giving away more than $100,000 in gift cards at its nearly 1,100 U.S. and Canada stores.  

New York — American Express has launched a new venture with Twitter, that could lead to a whole new category of shopping.

CHICAGO — Though a 2% increase in payroll tax may seem insignificant for middle- and upper-income families, it can cause a major change in shopping behavior for lower-income families, a new study has found.

NEW YORK — American Express has launched a new venture with Twitter, that could lead to a whole new category of shopping.

CHICAGO — Most Valentine's Day celebrants plan to shop a week or less before the holiday, and many wait until Feb. 13 or 14 to make their final purchases, according to research by the NPD Group, a leading global information company.

A first of its kind social shopper event is coming to Walmart’s home town in May courtesy of new media company Collective Bias.

The event, called SoFabCon, will be held May 3-5 and is the first annual gathering of the proprietary Collective Bias community of shopping influencers known as Social Fabric. Event organizers expect 200 members of the Social Fabric blogger community to participate with a collective sphere of influence that touches 40 million people.

Dallas -- Alliance Data Systems Corp. announced Thursday that its Canadian loyalty business signed a new multi-year agreement with Staples Canada Inc., which operates about 330 locations under the banners Staples and Bureau en Gros.

Staples Canada joined Alliance’s Air Miles Reward Program, under which reward miles are redeemed for more than 1,000 different rewards. The retailer will launch the program in-store and online in March.