Retailer Campaigns

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart is bringing Americans some much-wanted relief at the pump this fall and winter with the return of its "Great Gas Rollback" program.

Mountain View, Calif. -- Best Buy tops a list of the most effective back-to-school advertisers, according to Ace Metrix, which provides television and video analytics. An ad promoting free kids’ haircuts at J.C. Penney also was a top perfomer.

Dallas  -- J.C. Penney Co.  has unveiled details of its three newest brand shops.
 
The shop will debut September 1, in nearly 700 stores nationwide. , They feature dedicated in-store environments for Liz Claiborne, Izod, and  a new private-label line of fashion basics line called jcp.

For a video tour, click here.
 

New York -- Barnes & Noble announced that it will enter into a partnership with British retailer John Lewis to offer its Nook electronic readers in the United Kingdom.

John Lewis is the first Nook partner for Barnes & Noble outside the United States.

“John Lewis is where knowledgeable customers turn for trusted advice on the best products to purchase, and they are a perfect partner to help launch Nook in the U.K.,” said Jamie Iannone, president of digital products at Barnes & Noble.
 

Canton, Mass. -- Dunkin' Donuts announced the signing of multi-unit store development agreements with four franchise groups to develop 29 new restaurants in Houston and Waco, Texas, over the next several years.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears' Craftsman brand is using the upcoming Republican and Democratic National Conventions to show that two sides can come together.

The company has teamed up with Ty Pennington of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" fame, Sears Heroes at Home, Rebuilding Together, NextGen Home built by Champion and Bank of America to build two halves of one home -- one in Tampa, Fla. during the RNC and the other in Charlotte, N.C. during the DNC.

New York -- Walgreens will launch a loyalty card on Sept. 16, Reuters reported.

The move follows the chain’s long insistence that it did not need a loyalty card, even as rival CVS Caremark Corp. and Rite Aid Corp had their own successful well-established programs. The CVS ExtraCare loyalty program claims more than 70 million households as members.

Chicken Soup for the Soul, the well-known book publisher and leader in life improvement, inspiration and wellness, will launch a national line of nutritious, quality comfort foods that will be available in supermarkets and food retailers in early 2013.