Marketing Tactics

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Nearly 60 years to the day after Edmund Hillary and Tensing Norgay climbed Mount Everest, 48-year-old Russian Valery Rozov has jumped off its north face at 23,667 ft. to set a world record for the highest B.A.S.E. jump.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Express overcame the spring chill and a difficult retail environment, reporting net sales of $508 million for the first quarter ended May 4, a 3% increase from $496 million in the first quarter of 2012.

Comparable sales were flat following a 4% comparable sales increase in last year's first quarter. This includes e-commerce sales, which increased 48% to $71 million. In last year's first quarter, e-commerce sales grew 28% to $48 million.

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Golfsmith International is teeing up for the opening of its first Xtreme golf store in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The 35,000-sq.-ft. space has been designed to encourage customers to try out products in an interactive hi-tech environment before they buy.

CHICAGO — Cause Marketing Forum on Wednesday named America’s Checkout Charity Champions, a first-of-its-kind study ranking the largest consumer checkout donations in the United States last year.

Fayetteville, N.C., is the next stop for Walmart’s Saluting Heroes Together campaign, which together with Operation Homefront, aims to honor the men and women who have served or are currently serving in the military, as well as their families. 

New York -- Nickelodeon has opened a 'Nick Shop' on the first level of the Toys "R" Us flagship in New York City’s Times Square.

Melville, N.Y. -- Sbarro is expanding its international growth with plans to open 20 eateries in Ontario, Canada. This announcement is the latest in a series of franchise agreements that have recently expanded Sbarro's presence across Europe, the Middle East, South America, Asia and the Pacific.

Los Angeles – A survey from online shopping site PriceGrabber indicates U.S. consumers are leaning toward practical Father’s Day gifts this year. Almost four-in-10 (38%) consumers plan to purchase practical Father’s Day presents this year, such as tools, auto accessories or appliances.

Nearly one-fifth of respondents (18%) are planning to shop for a tech-type gift such as a computer, tablet or smartphone. Forty-five percent of men plan to buy a practical gift, compared to 33% of women.

Hicksville, N.Y. -- Footlocker was the most tweeted about brand with over 50,000 posts, according to GenSent Insights’ 2013 report on Sporting Goods and Outdoor Retailers. This was more than twice the number of tweets the next closest competitors, Dicks Sporting Goods and REI (generated with just under 20,000 posts each.  

Footlocker’s digital and social media strategy includes creating such properties as Sneakerpedia (a hub for sneaker enthusiasts) Kickstagram, (a photo sharing blog) and Footlocker Unlocked (blogs, games and more).

Minneapolis -- Female consumers are looking for value and deeper connections, according to results of the fifth annual “What Women Want” survey. The study, conducted by Ginger Consulting, indicates that women are responsible for or influence $7 trillion of annual purchases in the U.S., including 85% of all consumer and business purchases and 60% of automobile purchases,