Marketing Tactics

Having past the calendar’s mid-point, we thought it would be interesting to take a look at the most viewed stories of the year to date on Chainstoreage.com. (Based on the results, it’s clear that J.C. Penney is shaping up as THE story of 2012.) Here are the Top 10 stories of the first six months:

Philadelphia -- Destination Maternity said its third-quarter revenue fell 5.3% to $138.8 million. Wall Street had expected $146.4 million. The retailer cut its third-quarter earnings forecast, citing weaker-than-expected sales.

Same-store sales fell 2.4%.
 

Deerfield, Ill. — Walgreens on Tuesday extended its innovation in mobile technology with the introduction of a developer portal that allows third-party software developers to integrate the Walgreens QuickPrints software development kit, enabling photo printing directly from iPhone and Android mobile devices.

MINNEAPOLIS and DALLAS — Target and Neiman Marcus have joined forces for a unique partnership that will bring a limited-edition holiday collection to both stores beginning Dec. 1. The collection will also be available online at Target.com and NeimanMarcus.com.

STRATHAM, N.H. — Premium Swiss chocolatier Lindt & Sprungli USA announces a partnership with The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). Through the partnership, Lindt will collaborate with the next generation of culinary experts in a student contest searching for innovative dark chocolate bar recipes, sponsor CIA Boot Camp sessions, including several lectures and demonstrations with a Lindt Master Chocolatier, and donate premium chocolate products for use in CIA classrooms. 

LOS ANGELES and ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Lisa Hoffman Beauty is celebrating HSN's 35 years of innovation by providing their customers with exclusive offers of their fragrance line when it returns to HSN this week. The collection will appear on HSN on July 11 at 6 a.m., 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 11 p.m.

PADUA, Italy — Hugo Boss Group and Safilo Group, premium eyewear manufacturer, hav agreed to an early renewal of their license deal with a term until 2020 for the design, production and worldwide distribution of Boss Black, Boss Orange and Hugo frames and sunglass collections.

San Diego – Warehouse club operator PriceSmart Inc. reported Tuesday that net income for the third quarter slipped 4% to $15.7 million, compared with $16.3 m million last year.

Revenue rose 18% to $506.8 million from $431.1 million, missing Wall Street’s forecasted $508.2 million. Same-store sales increased 12.9%.
 

Redmond, Wash. – PlayNetwork said Tuesday that it has been selected as women’s apparel retailer Maurices’ strategic music agency for all Maurices marketing initiatives.

As music agency of record for Maurices, PlayNetwork will help expand the retailer’s music footprint with their customers through multichannel engagements that include targeted national campaigns, social media features, music festivals, artist and label partnerships, and exclusive original video content.

New York -- The retail industry is buzzing as a discounter giant and a luxury stalwart form an unprecedented partnership.

Target Corp. and Neiman Marcus Group announced Tuesday they have joined to market a joint holiday 2012 limited collection that ranges from fashion to sporting goods.

More than 50 products will be available at both stores and on their websites starting Dec. 1 until they sell out. The pair feels the partnership makes more sense than people might think.