Retailer Campaigns

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Thursday by the National Retail Federation predicted an average holiday shopping season. According to the NRF forecast, holiday retail sales for 2011 are expected to increase 2.8% to $465.6 billion. While that growth is far lower than the 5.2% increase retailers experienced last year, it is slightly higher than the 10-year average holiday sales increase of 2.6%, according to NRF.

Cupertino, Calif. -- Apple announced Wednesday that its co-founder Steve Jobs has died at age 56. Jobs suffered from a rare form of pancreatic cancer, and stepped down from his CEO post in August.

Apple released a brief statement, saying "We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today. Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve."

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — OfficeMax announced that, together with its retail customers, it has donated more than $1.7 million in classroom supplies to teachers nationwide through OfficeMax's annual A Day Made Better classroom surprise events, which help provide economic relief and encourage national support for teachers.

Wednesday marked the fifth year of the A Day Made Better program, in which OfficeMax associates surprise 1,000 teachers in their classrooms with $1,000 each worth of school supplies – $1 million in sum.

Paraiso Town Center in the Thousand Oaks, Calif., master-planned community of Dos Vientos Ranch is being renamed The Village at Dos Vientos Ranch, announced Peter Cohen, president of Paradise Capital Group, which acquired the 50,000-sq.-ft. mixed-used retail and office complex in June 2010.

A new name was very important toward rebranding and marketing the property, said Cohen. “We wanted to give the center a fresh start with a new name that was easy to pronounce and remember,” he said.

The Associated Press reported last week that First Lady Michelle Obama was sighted shopping incognito at a D.C. area Target store wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses. Secret Service agents arrived about a half-hour before Mrs. Obama, who walked in through the main entrance with an assistant and spent 30 to 40 minutes shopping and pushing her own cart, according to AP.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Consumers are busier than ever and are inclined to spend as little time shopping for groceries as possible, so attracting them enough to stop and sample a new product is a challenge. Albertsons is looking to address that issue by teaming with Daymon Interactions, a consumer event marketing company, to develop a new in-house product sampling and event marketing program.

Dublin, Calif. - Ross Dress for Less will open four new locations in the greater Chicago area on March 8, 2014. These openings bring the total number of Chicago area stores to 35 for the retailer.  

LOS ANGELES — The state of the economy continues to impact consumers' holiday shopping decisions as many plan to spend less or the same this year.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway announced that Portland, Ore. has been named "America's Most Natural City." The city earned the title by garnering the most votes on Facebook.  As a result, Portland will receive a donation of $20,000 and 25 picnic tables constructed from the Guinness World Record holder for the World's Longest Picnic Table. 

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway's annual fundraising initiative to benefit breast cancer research once again has commenced.