Marketing Tactics

New York -- Omnichannel retailer Century Martial Arts will share insights on how it leverages business intelligence to better monitor and engage with customers during a Chain Store Age webcast on Tuesday, September 23, at 2 p.m. EDT (11 a.m. PDT). Sponsored by Microsoft Dynamics, the presentation will take BI from buzz word to a “getting down to business” strategy and discuss how to elevate reporting to real intelligence – and actionable insight.

CVS Health has completed the purchase of Miami-based Navarro Discount Pharmacy.

The acquisition includes Navarro's 33 retail locations and Navarro Health Services, a specialty pharmacy serving patients with complex or chronic diseases. The retail pharmacies will retain the Navarro Discount Pharmacy name.

The increasingly competitive yoga apparel category just got a little more crowded. Sports Authority has launched an exclusive yoga line called Bloom, which it says it created specifically for women who enjoy being connected to the outdoors.

Austin, Texas - Nearly all Americans (96%) are coupon users, according to the latest edition of the Shoppers Trend Report conducted in conjunction with The Omnibus Company. The number of Americans who rely mostly on mobile coupons has been steadily increasing during the past few years (15% in 2014, compared to 10% in 2013 vs. 4% in 2010).

New York -- Panera Bread would like its customers to leave their guns at home. The bakery-cafe chain joined a handful of other high-profile retailers, including Starbucks, Chipotle, and Target, to make the request.  

Venice, Calif. – Vertical denim retailer Rialto Jean Project (RJP) opens a month-long pop-up shop on Sept. 5 in New York's South Street Seaport, in conjunction with the New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer presentations kicking off around Manhattan.

Instagram has become a mainstream social media tool for retailers. However, while most retailers limit their Instagram usage to maintaining an official page or encouraging customers to post photos with Instagram hashtags as part of promotional campaigns, some retailers are more forward-thinking in their Instagram approach.

Here are three retailers showing real insight in how they are leveraging Instagram to its fullest potential:

Phoenix – Sprouts Farmers Market has teamed up with Nashville, Tenn.-based integrated ad agency Redpepper to use omnichannel marketing to produce market awareness and traffic for four new stores in the suburban Atlanta area. In addition to traditional outdoor, print, radio and newspaper ads, Sprouts used Facebook- and email-based marketing techniques.