Marketing Tactics

New York -- Swedish fast-fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) plans to call its new retail brand “& other stories” according to various media reports.

NEW YORK — Whole Foods Market is leading charge to promote the sale of sustainable seafood by becoming the first national grocer to stop selling red-rated seafood. The company announced that, beginning this Earth Day (April 22), it will no longer carry red-rated, wild-caught fish in its seafood departments. 

Goodlettsville, Tenn. -- Dollar General Corp. announced the opening of its 10,000 store, giving the retailer a coast-to-coast presence for the first time in its history. The location is in Merced, Calif., and is due to officially open on Saturday. It will be Dollar General’s fifth store to open in California.

“Opening the doors of our 10,000th store is a meaningful day for all of us at Dollar General, and we are excited to celebrate the occasion in California,” said Rick Dreiling, Dollar General’s chairman and CEO.

Indianapolis -- Finish Line Inc. posted earnings of $41.9 million for the fourth quarter, compared with $34.2 million in the year-ago period. But the chain forecast a plunge in first-quarter earnings due to lower margins.

Sales in the quarter ended March 3, 2012, rose 18.6% to $456.3 million, ahead of analyst estimates of $432.62 million. Same-store sales rose 10.8%.

For the full fiscal year, consolidated net sales increased 11.4% to $1.37 billion. Same-store sales increased 9.2%.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Mass merchandise chain Meijer has acquired a Michigan-based dairy, the company said.

Meijer announced the purchase of Bareman's Dairy, a family-owned company based in Holland, Mich., and the intention of investing more than $8 million into expansion of the plant.

Indianapolis -- The Finish Line announced that Gart Capital Partners will invest $10 million in Finish Line’s Running Specialty Group, with the goal of creating the largest operator of specialty running shoe business in the United States.

CALGARY — Safeway's Canada stores have launched an annual fundraising campaign designed to benefit Easter Seals and the Special Olympics.

During April, the company's 215 Safeway stores across western Canada will raise funds for organizations that are at the forefront of providing assistance, training, therapy and social outlets for the thousands of people who live with physical or intellectual disabilities.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Thursday it will reduce prices on groceries by $1 billion in 2012, in hopes to draw customers in and encourage them to cross-shop in other areas of the store.

Wal-Mart had $145 billion in grocery sales last year in the United States, making it the largest player in terms of domestic grocery sales. It says the price reductions in food and consumables are an investment and won’t impact margins especially if shoppers respond as planned with additional traffic and loyalty.