Retailer Campaigns

Staples is coming to the rescue of consumers with long school supply lists by creating an inventive new way to attract these shoppers.

The retailer has created a panel of experts called the Back to School Council to offer advice to teachers, parents and students on how to get prepared for the next school year.

From the latest products and technology to cost-saving deals and easy ways to get ready for the school year, the council will offer up advice through their blogs and social media channels.

The experts are:

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Dress for Less will open a new store in Montrose, Colorado, on July 18, as well as a new store in Phoenix on the same day, adding to its western U.S. store counts.

The 27,000-sq.-ft. Montrose, Colorado, store is located in the River Landing shopping center at US Highway 550 and Rio Grande Avenue, 60 miles southeast of Grand Junction.  

Mount Shasta, Calif. – Following the lead of Pinocchio, online puppet and educational toy retailer ePuppets Inc. is joining the “real” world.

E-Puppets will open its first physical store on July 4, in its headquarters town of Mount Shasta, California.

PetSmart is launching a promotion to bring panting pups and their owners into the store for heat relief this summer.

New York – Macy’s Inc. has dumped The Donald.

The Modesto, Ca.-based Save Mart chain of 217 supermarkets has embarked on a major rebranding effort in the Bay Area where a new 61,000-sq.-ft. protoype bears a reimagined Lucky California banner.

The parent company of Winn-Dixie, BI-LO and Harveys said all profits generated at its nearly 800 stores on July 4 will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project.

The project’s Independence Program is designed to help warriors who need to rely on their families and friends for support due to injuries they have suffered, such as brain injury, spinal-cord injury, or other neurological conditions. Individualized plans are created with goals to provide a future with purpose at no cost to the warriors or their support teams.

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, the nation’s leading fabric and craft specialty retailer, has announced two significant organizational changes in the merchandising and marketing areas.

Megan Featherston, formerly senior vice president, merchandising, at Jo-Ann, has been promoted to executive vice president, merchandising & marketing. In her new role, Megan will oversee the retailer’s merchandising, marketing, Joann.com and business intelligence and analytics teams.