Marketing Tactics

Mobile e-commerce sales will account for nearly half of all online commerce in just a couple of years.    This was according to “A Mobile Mindset,” the second volume in the five-part series, “The 2017 UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper.” The report, from UPS, is based on input of over 5,189 comScore panelists who made at least two online purchases in a typical three-month period.  

There's a new story at Story — the innovative retail outpost in downtown Manhattan that totally reinvents itself every couple of months — and this time it's all about beauty.

Postmates just made a strategic move in the online delivery war.    Knowing that delivery fees can exceed the cost of a food order, the on-demand app-based delivery provider has killed delivery fees for orders over $20. This decision entitles Postmates Unlimited subscribers to free delivery for orders placed with any of its 250,000-plus merchant partners.    Postmates members pay a $9.99 monthly subscription fee.  

A Japanese lifestyle brand with a devoted following has opened an outpost in one of New York City's most hip neighborhoods that will serve as a model for future expansion.    Muji has opened a 7,300-sq.-ft. store in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. It is the retailer’s seventh store in the greater New York City area. In addition to New York, Muji has six locations in California, one in New Jersey and one in Boston. It plans to add more U.S. stores next year.  

Online home furnishings and decor retailer One Kings Lane is making its temporary foray into brick-and-mortar retail more permanent.   The retailer opened its first-ever physical location, a seasonal pop-up in the posh resort town of Southampton, New York, at the beginning of summer. But the company said the response to the temporary store was so positive that it has decided to make it a permanent space.  

The price wars among the nation's leading retailers has taken a new turn just ahead of the critical holiday selling season. On Friday, Target revealed in a blog post on its website that it had lowered prices on "thousands" of items, from cereal and paper towels to baby formula, razors, bath tissue and more. The discounter said the move would help end shoppers' uncertainty over the timing of discounts on certain products, and make for "more consistent savings."

Target Corp. is launching an array of private brands and the discounter is giving them a big kickoff.   The discounter will launch an aggressive marketing campaign for the new labels, AdAge reported, including everything from print and television spots to in-store events and visual merchandising.      

CVS Pharmacy is rolling out a convenient way for consumers on the go to easily buy necessities.    The drugstore chain on Thursday introduced automated vending machines that will be located in travel hubs and other places and contain such items as over-the-counter health products, better-for-you snacks and popular personal care products. The machines will also be used to showcase products from the company’s exclusive store brands while meeting customers at well-trafficked areas.