Marketing Tactics

Wolverine opens first retail store
New York -- Wolverine has opened its first permanent store, in New York City’s Nolita neighborhood.

The store follows a successful pop-up the brand launched last fall. The brand; new location follows the successful New York pop-up venture in fall 2012, and will again offer a curated selection of goods that share Wolverine's commitment to quality, heritage and craftsmanship.
DSW announces four new locations
Columbus, Ohio – DSW, Inc. is opening four new stores on Oct. 10. The stores will be located in Muskegon, Mich., Rochester, Minn., Boardman, Ohio, and Knoxville, Tenn.

Customers will be eligible to participate in DSW Rewards, a free loyalty program in which customers earn certificates toward future DSW purchases and receive special member-only offers. Customers can also participate in the Shoe Lover community on Facebook to receive exclusive offers and giveaways.

West Elm to make Alabama debut

Brooklyn, N.Y. - West Elm, a division of Williams-Sonoma, will open a store in Birmingham, Ala., on Thursday, Oct. 10. The 8,000-sq.-ft. store is located in The Summit Birmingham shopping center.
Signage Trends

Local cues and digital influences on the rise
Signage continues to gain importance in overall branding efforts, as retailers seek to differentiate themselves with signs tailored to local markets and to create department ambiance. And increasingly, there is a lot more participation by marketing and advertising departments in developing signage programs.
“It is not just the construction or store planning departments anymore,” said Tony Camilletti, executive VP, D/Fab, Madison Heights, Mich.
Pricing Data Fuels Conversions, Revenues and Margins

Alexander Rink, CEO of price intelligence solutions provider 360pi, recently spoke with Chain Store Age to discuss the importance of accurate pricing data to retail success. By obtaining timely internal and external pricing information, retailers can ensure a consistent omnichannel customer experience and also prevent the loss of sales to lower-priced competitors.
What are the advantages of having up-to-date pricing information on your competitors?
Spreading Good Vibes

Feelgoodz leverages shipping solutions to deliver savings and customer service
Feelgoodz Inc. likes to create a customer environment that is as carefree and comfortable as its signature merchandise: eco-friendly flip-flops.
Although the company operates one store in Raleigh, N.C., its e-commerce site serves as its primary direct-to-consumer selling channel, meaning that smoothly functioning order fulfillment is of paramount importance to maintaining positive customer-service vibrations.
Promotional Rescue

Hudson’s Bay measures incremental ROI of printed offers
Despite the digitization of most customer-facing communication, printed flyers are still an important promotional vehicle for many retailers. By analyzing terabytes of offer-, store- and item-level sales data for products promoted in its weekly flyers, Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) is determining the true incremental return on printed promotions and optimizing the efficiency and effectiveness of its flyer-based marketing efforts for its Hudson’s Bay stores.
‘Virtual’ Global Growth

U.S. retailers increasingly tapping into global markets via online efforts
Demand for American brands around the globe is getting bigger every day. There are currently more than 2 billion prospective global customers, and about 25% of the traffic from U.S. retail sites comes from international shoppers, according to industry experts, with Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Russia and Hong Kong currently the top international markets for U.S. retailers.
Remaining Relevant

It’s easy these days to get caught up in the frenzy as online sales growth outpaces total retail sales growth. But let’s not lose sight of an important fact: The physical store still remains the most crucial brand touchstone for shoppers. It’s also where the overwhelming majority of retailers still rack up their volume. And according to nearly every reputable forecast, that isn’t likely to change anytime soon.
Penney launches in-store Disney shops, new kids brands

Plano, Texas -- J.C. Penney Co. is set to launch Disney branded shops inside 565 Penney stores on Oct.4. The shops will offer toys, collectibles and children's apparel designed for Penney and showcasing various Disney characters, including those from Toy Story and Monsters University and Disney Junior shows.
Two new Sam’s Club locations open

New York — Sam’s Club will open two new clubs on Oct. 3. One is located in Romeoville, Ill. Romeoville Mayor John Noak, Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings and former Bears tight end Desmond Clark, will attend the grand opening.

The second new Sam’s Club is located in Edmond, Okla. Edmond Mayor Charles Lamb, Oklahoma quarterback Jason White and former Sooner running back Billy Sims will attend the grand opening.
March of Dimes to honor NRDC

Purchase, N.Y. — The March of Dimes Greater N.Y. Chapter and the Real Estate Award Breakfast Committee have named National Realty & Development Corp. as the 2013 Real Estate Award recipient.

This year marks the 26th annual Real Estate Award Breakfast and the 75th aAnniversary of the March of Dimes. The breakfast will be held November 14 at the Renaissance Westchester Hotel in White Plains.