Marketing Tactics

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — HSN is bringing Quick Response (QR) codes to a new shopping frontier by becoming the first retailer to use them on television.

Through Oct. 10 as part of the company's Innovation Weekend event, HSN will debut QR codes on its HD channel, which currently reaches approximately 43 million households. Customers will be able to scan the QR code of hundreds of products, the company said, giving them access the product information page on their mobile device, learn more about the product and purchase with ease.

St. Petersburg, Fla. -- HSN will introduce a new way for consumers to shop with their television when it debuts Quick Response codes live on HSN HD during its bi-annual “Innovation Weekend” event, which runs Oct. 7 to Oct. 10. It will be the first ever retailer to use QR codes on-air.

Washington, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation said Friday that high unemployment rates remain a concern as retailers head into the holiday season.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target announced that it is partnering with internationally renowned designer Josie Natori to introduce its first limited-edition collection of lingerie and loungewear.

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Thursday by the National Retail Federation predicted an average holiday shopping season. According to the NRF forecast, holiday retail sales for 2011 are expected to increase 2.8% to $465.6 billion. While that growth is far lower than the 5.2% increase retailers experienced last year, it is slightly higher than the 10-year average holiday sales increase of 2.6%, according to NRF.

Chattanooga, Tenn. -- CBL & Associates Properties and MallMerlin, LLC, said Thursday they have launched a MallMerlin smartphone mobile application, available for download at the iTunes store for use exclusively at CBL malls across the nation.

A couple of promotional pieces from Walmart hit the marketplace in recent weeks underscoring that Walmart may be nearing the completion of its Project Impact course correction strategy.

The week of Sept. 18 a four-page insert dropped announcing that “fabrics are back” and that new and expanded product assortment are available in 2,000 stores. This past weekend another promotion piece hit the market focused on the hunting category with a similar message around new and expanded assortments.

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. PLANO, Texas and CINCINNATI – While Kohl’s and Macy’s posted September sales growth, JCPenney had to scale its outlook back after a weaker than expected month.

Kohl’s reported that sales for September increased 5.8% and comparable-store sales increased 4.1% over the same period last year.