Loyalty Marketing

Ontario, Calif. -- Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group announced that Masa Liles has joined The Mills, a Simon Co., as area director of marketing for Ontario Mills, California’s largest outlet and value retail shopping destination, and The Block at Orange, an open-air shopping, dining and entertainment destination in southern California.

Jackson-Hewitt tax preparation kiosks are now open in more than 2,000 Walmart stores in anticipation of an onslaught of consumers eager for their refund to arrive as soon as possible. Nearly half of those who receive a refund get it in February, according to IRS data cited by Walmart, so the retailer is touting the presence of Jackson-Hewitt kiosks in its stores and a preparation fee of $38 for the most basic of returns, the 1040EZ, with only two W2s.

Sam's Club held an open house Jan. 11 to Jan. 13 to show its support for small businesses nationwide.

During the event, guests could take advantage of deals usually only afforded to members. For example, a HP G72 Notebook with 17.3” HP BrightView LED display, Intel Pentium Dual Core Processor, 4GB Memory, 320 GB hard drive2 was being offered for $499 and a gallon ProForce Pine Cleaner and Deodorizer was going for $4.58.

New York City -- Crabtree & Evelyn has retained 89 Degrees to assist the retailer in developing a wide range of digital and direct marketing programs.

Dallas -- Zale Corp.’s same-store sales rose 8.5% during the November-December selling period. This figure is a key indicator of a retailer's health because it gauges results at existing stores instead of newly opened ones.

Zale is refocusing its merchandise on diamonds and stepping up training of its workers, said CEO Theo Killion in a Bloomberg report. The company increased the number of salespeople certified by the Diamond Council of America to 2,000, from 800 last year, and plans to add more, he said.

New York City -- Affinity Solutions, a provider of partner-funded rewards programs, announced that it has signed an extension with Anna’s Linens as a client in its bank rewards program, which connects national and local retailers to a network of over 400 banks. Anna’s Linens will also continue its use of the Affinity Dashboard, a proprietary analytic tool that offers retailers access to in-depth consumer spend data.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Building on its valued customer program, Harris Teeter is offering shoppers a way to link coupons to the program's card.

Harris Teeter's e-VIC program now gives customers the opportunity to link valuable manufacturer coupons directly to their VIC card. When e-VIC members receive their e-VIC e-mail, they can browse the list of e-VIC coupons any time, and link the coupons by clicking the “Save it” icon on any of the displayed coupons.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Building on its valued customer program, Harris Teeter is offering shoppers a way to link coupons to the program's card.

Harris Teeter's e-VIC program now gives customers the opportunity to link valuable manufacturer coupons directly to their VIC card. When e-VIC members receive their e-VIC e-mail, they can browse the list of e-VIC coupons any time, and link the coupons by clicking the “Save it” icon on any of the displayed coupons.