Marketing Tactics

An uptick in consumer spending could drive sales as high as $1.05 trillion this holiday season.   Retail holiday sales should rise a healthy 4% to 4.5% over last year's shopping season — a factor that could drive sales between $1.04 trillion and $1.05 trillion between November 2017 and January 2018, according to the annual retail holiday sales forecast from the firm’s retail and distribution practices. (Holiday sales are seasonally adjusted, and exclude motor vehicles and gasoline.)  

Amazon is giving Hilton Honors members a new way to redeem their points.    The global hospitality company is joining Amazon’s Shop With Points program, a move that will enable Hilton Honors members to redeem their loyalty points for purchases on Amazon. Hilton is the first hotel brand to join Amazon’s program.   

Kohl's is extending its collaboration with Amazon in a way that is almost sure to drive increased traffic into its stores while solving one of the online giant's biggest challenges.     The department store retailer will begin accepting Amazon.com returns at 82 Kohl's stores in Los Angeles and Chicago. The chain will not only ship eligible items back to an Amazon fulfillment center free of charge, but will also pack up the goods for shipping if the customer has not done so.    

Fort Worth-based Trademark Property Co. has launched fundraisers at its properties in Texas to aid victims of Hurricane Harvey. Proceeds will be distributed via United Way, which is waiving all general and administrative fees in the arrangement with Trademark.   Tenants, financial partners, customers, and the community are being engaged in events, and Trademark has pledged to match up to $150,000 in donations. Miller Capital Advisory has pledged a matching donation total of $50,000 for fund collected at La Palmer in Corpus Christi. 

Social media plays a huge role — bigger than pricing — when it comes to influencing the purchase decisions of Generation Z.   

School may be back in session, but the back-to-school (BTS) shopping frenzy continues.    And as parents continue to purchase merchandise from newly distributed classroom supply lists, 42% of BTS shoppers expect to spend more this school year compared to 2016, according to new research and insights from Acosta, a sales and marketing agency in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) and retail merchandising industry.  

Amazon is putting Fashion Week couture items into Londoners’ hands within an hour.   Amazon is partnering with designer Nicola Formichetti to offer one-hour delivery to London-based Prime customers. Available items were originally featured on the catwalk during a London Fashion Week fashion show on Saturday night, according to Reuters.  

An 80-year-old fashion magazine is using technology to bring the fashion, beauty and entertainment featured on its glossy pages to life.