Marketing Tactics

TJX Companies reported a 3% comp increase on top of a prior year gain of 4% while Ross Stores said posted a comp increase of 2% compared to last November’s 5% comp increase.

Total sales at TJX increased 7% to $2.2 billion during the November reporting period and so far this year sales at the company have advanced 10% to $20.3 billion. Total sales for November at Ross increased 6% to $813 million and so far this year are up 11% to nearly $7.8 billion.

Las Vegas -- Tatyana Designs opened its first Bettie Page store in New York City, in Manhattan’s Bowery neighborhood. The iconic area has recently become a flashpoint for cutting edge, fashion forward designers.

"It's perfect for our brand," noted Tatyana Designs co-CEO Jan Glaser. “This is the perfect place for our first store in NYC."

The new store is the company’s 11th retail location to date.

Where did the idea for the Black Friday and Cyber Monday Consumer Face-Off originate?

Microsoft has taken offense to the practice of paying to improve one’s ranking in Google search results and has launched a campaign touting its "honest" search results.

Google is the leader in search, but Bing contend the company has begun a "pay-to-rank" practice whereby companies ranking in product searches is determined by how much they pay. Bing derides the practices as being "Scroogled," and said its approach provides consumers with more credible results.

NEW YORK — Tiffany & Co. is polishing up its social media efforts to more effectively engage with a new generation of shoppers with its launch of From Out of the Blue on Tumblr.

Reston, Va. -- Spending on Cyber Monday reached $1.46 billion, up 17% versus a year ago, making it the heaviest online spending day in history, according to comScore.

Retail e-commerce spending for the first 26 days of the November-December 2012 holiday season rose to $16.4 billion, up 16% versus the corresponding days last year.

NEW YORK — Barnes & Noble will offer teachers a special holiday shopping event Saturday, Dec. 1.

Educators who shop at their local Barnes & Noble store or at www.bn.com and present a valid Barnes & Noble Educators Discount Card will receive special discounts on select merchandise.

BOSTON — Gillette and its brand ambassador and Green Bay Packers Pro Bowl linebacker Clay Matthews have kicked off an online debate forum on Gillette’s Facebook page.

With the NFL playoffs just around the corner, NFL fans are invited to show their passion and knowledge of the game for a chance to win weekly prizes and a grand prize trip to Super Bowl XLVII.