Marketing Tactics

Pittsburgh -- Dick’s Sporting Goods will open its newly renovated store in Cary, N.C., on Sept. 29, featuring 56,000 sq. ft. of specialized services and experiential elements such as a golf simulator, club fitting center, putting green, archery lane with an on-site bow technician, and bike safety inspections, custom fittings, tune-ups and assembly.

Pearle Vision has debuted a new store design, in Legacy Village, Lyndhurst, Ohio. The  Cleveland-area store features a completely revamped look,  from a new brand logo and signage to modernized displays and a completely transformed floor plan.

The design, by WD Partners, incorporates the company's rich history, with a new eyeglass icon that speaks to the heritage of Dr. Pearle and the Pearle Vision brand. Accompanying the new logo and signage is "Est. 1961," a tribute that reinforces the company's commitment to a 50-year legacy.

Walnut Creek, Calif. – While the percentage of retailers who think they know about their customers is rising, fewer retailers think they are proficient in using that knowledge for marketing purposes. According to a new study from RSR Research, “Retail Marketing 2013: Organizational Drift,” 36% of retail marketers said their customer loyalty program is a foundational element of their marketing strategy in 2013, compared to 32% last year.

New York -- Macy’s announced that it is an exclusive launch partner for Apple’s new iAd-supported streaming radio service, iTunes Radio. In line with the retailer’s omnichannel strategy, Macy’s said the new service will allow it to reach a broad cross-section of consumers with compelling digital, visual and audio engagement experiences on their iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Apple TV, Mac or PC.

Costa Mesa, Calif. – Almost half of holiday marketing campaigns will start before Halloween, according to a survey of 200 marketers by Experian Marketing Services.

In addition, the study shows that the first 15 days of November are the most popular time to launch a holiday-themed campaign.

Other results include:

New York – Men are highly engaged shoppers, with 63% of men actively looking for in-store sales and 53% regularly using coupons, according to WSL’s “How America Shops: Men & Shopping Report.” The study also shows that 67% of Millennial men use mobile phones to shop, compared to 52% of Gen X men and 29% of Baby Boomer men.

Fort Worth, Texas – Pier 1 Imports, Inc. substantially missed expectations with a 32% decline in net income for the second quarter of fiscal 2014 compared to the same period last year. Net income totaled $17.8 million in the most recent fiscal quarter, down from $26.2 million.

Total sales were $395.6 million, a 7.6% increase from $367.6 million a year earlier. Comparable store sales increased 3.5% during the second quarter.

Largo, Fla. - Valpak Direct Marketing Systems, Inc. will integrate offerings of local and national coupons into Google Wallet via the Wallet Objects API. The Valpak.com “Save to Google" feature will be available for desktop and mobile web users later this week.

Columbus, Ohio – DSW Inc. is opening a new store in Eatontown, N.J., on Sept. 26.

The store will be located at 135 Route 35 in Eatontown. Customers will be eligible to participate in the DSW Rewards loyalty program as well as the DSW Shoe Lover program on Facebook which enables them to receive exclusive offers and giveaways, including chances to win free shoes on Facebook each Tuesday.

New York -- Retail is the No. 1 category utilizing location-powered advertising, with big box, consumer electronics and department store retailers being the most frequent users, according to a new report by location-based mobile advertising firm Verve Mobile.

The "State of the Market: Location Powered Mobile Advertising, Deep Dive on Retail" study reveals that geo-fencing, which includes geo-conquesting, is the most utilized location targeting strategy deployed by retailers.  I

In other findings: