Marketing Tactics

New York -- Starbucks Coffee Co. on Friday opened its first location in Vietnam, following an expanded long-term relationship with Hong Kong Maxim’s Group.
 
The two-level flagship store has been designed to reflect Starbucks’ signature coffee heritage, while embracing Vietnam’s distinctive local traditions and coffee culture. It is located the bustling neighborhood of Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1.

NEW YORK — JCPenney is inviting customers to make a difference this February by rounding up their purches to the nearest whole dollar and donate the difference to benefit Dress for Success, an organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. 

Organized labor was dealt a setback in its attacks on Walmart on Thursday when the National Labor Relations Board sided with the retailer in a dispute involving the United Food and Commercial Workers.

The UFCW reached a settlement with Walmart stemming from demonstrations the union organized at various Walmart stores on Black Friday. The protests received considerable media attention at the time as the union sought to persuade Walmart employees to walk off the job on the busiest day of the year.

A new online destination profiling sustainability innovations and innovators has been created by The Mother Nature Network (MNN) and Walmart.

The Web site is called, "The Leaderboard" and the goal is to showcase the biggest innovations in sustainability and the pioneers who are creating them.

SAN FRANCISCO — Target has found a new friend in Facebook, as the retailer has become one of the first businesses to participate in the social network's new gift card program.

According to a Reuters report, consumers can buy cards for their Facebook friends for use at four different businesses including Target, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vitton SA's Jamba Juice and Darden Restaurants Inc's Olive Garden.

NEW YORK — A breast cancer survivor and her daughter have used the Internet to draw attention to an important issue and potentially create a new category of lingerie.

Debbie Barrett ad Allana Maiden hand-delivered more than 118,000 Change.org petition signatures to Victoria's Secret's New York office on Thursday, asking the lingerie giant to make a line of "survivor" mastectomy bras to help breast cancer survivors feel beautiful again.

NEW YORK — Samsung Electronics has partnered with New York-based designer to create the industry's first co-created print inspired by crowd-sourced sketches and images using the Galaxy Note II. The print will appear on a limited-edition bag that will be sold in key markets around the world to raise funds for Art Start, an award-winning, nationally-recognized charity that uses the arts to nurture the creative talents of at-risk children and youth. 

New York -- The Container Store is expanding its presence in Florida with three new locations set to open in 2013.
   
The company will open a store in Tampa, Fla., on March 16. The retailer said the Tampa location is its  most requested city for a new store according to its Facebook fans. It will be The Container Store’s third store in Florida, soon to be followed by two additional store openings in Orlando and Boca Raton later this year.

New York -- As part of its charitable giving program, jcp cares, J.C. Penney is inviting its customers to round up their purchases in February to the nearest whole dollar and donate the difference to benefit Dress for Success, an organization that providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help disadvantaged women thrive in work and in life.
 

Washington -- Consumers aren’t quite ready to shell out the big bucks for their loved ones this Valentine’s Day as much as they were last year. The 2013 Valentine's Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey conducted for the National Retail Federation by BIGinsight shows only a slight increase in expected sales this year with the average person planning to spend $130.97 on candy, cards, gifts and more, up from $126.03 last year. Total spending will reach $18.6 billion.