Marketing Tactics

ECRM compared retail circular advertising in September 2012 versus September 2013 and noted trends occurring across top retail chains. Home Depot continued to cut circular pages, down 80% year-over-year to only four for September. Despite this, it has continued to dramatically increase the density of its circular, with a 180% increase in ad blocks per page. On the other hand, Lowe’s saw only minor year-over-year changes, with 25% increases in ad blocks per page and per circular.

Meijer plans to address the need many consumers have for more information about the health insurance exchanges that are part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Walmart announced that Kathleen McLaughlin, 48, has been named president of the Walmart Foundation, effective Oct. 15.

In addition to leading corporate giving, she will have responsibility for the company's global sustainability, women's economic empowerment initiatives and healthier food initiatives.

McLaughlin, previously a senior partner at global consulting firm McKinsey & Company, is a dual American-Canadian citizen and was based in Toronto.

Chicago – Monetate is releasing two new products that will bring its big data marketing acceleration technology to retention and acquisition channels. The addition of Monetate Email and Monetate Display expands the Monetate Acceleration Cloud.

New York -- Holiday sales will rise 3.4% sales increase, slightly stronger than last year, for the traditional November-December holiday period, even though retailers are expecting a more modest spending season, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Additionally, ICSC anticipates that the other two measures of U.S. industry holiday sales will both increase over last year.

By Chase Cornett, [email protected]

The holiday shopping season is just around the corner and soon consumers will be bombarded with buying guides, floods of emails, deep discounts and, of course, that Black Friday competitive spirit. With all the chaos brought on by the holidays, retailers are finding it harder and harder to stand out. The result — strategies that focus on discounts, deliver low profit margins and drive transactions instead of engaged brand experiences.

Cleveland – Sherwin-Williams is releasing a new consumer app for Google Glass, called ColorSnap Glass. Developed for Sherwin-Williams by digital marketing agency Resource, ColorSnapp Glass provides a digital layer of color samples customers can view using the Google Glass device.

Davenport, Iowa -- Von Maur Department Stores will open its 29th store at Riverchase Galleria Mall in Hoover, Ala., on Nov. 2. Located just outside of Birmingham, Ala., the three-level, 185,000-sq.-ft. store will be the company's first location in Alabama and will become one of Von Maur's largest stores in the country.

Grapevine, Texas – GameStop plans to hire approximately 17,000 employees nationwide as the company prepares for the upcoming PlayStation 4 and Xbox One console launches, as well as the holiday shopping season.

Washington, D.C. - The National Retail Federation (NRF) today announced the development of a new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council to serve as an advertising and marketing voice for the retail industry. The organization’s Retail Advertising and Marketing Association (RAMA) will transition into the newly created council.