Marketing Tactics

New York -- Shoppers in the United States intend to spend an average of $646 on gifts this holiday season, representing an 11% increase over the $582 they planned to spend, on average, in 2012, according to Accenture’s annual holiday shopping survey. The forecast uptick is more optimistic than other holiday surveys released to date.

Best Buy Canada is now offering Gibson’s guitars and basses from Gibson USA and Epiphone, both online and in select stores across Canada. This launch adds to the ever-growing selection of more than 300 musical instruments available online at bestbuy.ca.

Atlanta -- First Data Corp announced that the First Data OfferWise  solution has been integrated with Microsoft’s Bing Offers Card-Linked, which consolidates local deals from a number of deal providers. OfferWise is an open platform that enables retailers to electronically attach offers to any consumer payment card or mobile wallet to allow streamlined and automatic redemption of the offer at the point of sale (POS).  

Denton, Texas — Cencor Realty Services has named Carrie Carter director of marketing for Golden Triangle Mall in Denton, Texas. Carter’s new responsibilities include creating and executing the mall’s marketing, public relations, advertising and social media programs. She will also support the mall’s current renovation through the development of marketing, collateral and presentation materials.

Wilmington, N.C. -- National mobility equipment franchisor 101 Mobility is seeking to attract potential franchisees in the Kansas City, Mo., market. 101 Mobility has introduced geo-specific online advertising combined with SEO-rich organic content to reach potential Kansas City franchise candidates.

101 Mobility currently has 29 franchisees operating physical and online stores in 70 territories.

Ahold USA-owned supermarket chain Giant Food Stores celebrated its 90th birthday.

The supermarket banner, which operates nearly 200 stores under the Giant and Martin's Food Markets brands in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, marked its anniversary Friday morning at a store in its hometown of Carlisle, Pa. Customers at all the company's 200 stores will receive free slices of cake and free apple slices Friday.

Leading “As Seen on TV” product producer TeleBrands took Marketer of the Year honors at the recent Electronic Retailing Association’s annual Moxie Awards.
In addition to top marketer accolades, the company’s Pocket Hose product was recognized as Best Short Form Infomercial.

Columbus, Ohio – Lane Bryant officially reopens its store at the West Towne mall in Madison, Wis. on Friday, Oct. 4 with a new look. On the same day Lane Bryant opens a new store in Houston.

The store will celebrate its grand opening at both stores from Oct. 4 through Oct. 6. Customers who shop at those location during the weekend will be able to enter for a chance to win one of 150 $25 Lane Bryant gift cards.