Marketing Tactics

The American Express card is now history at Costco Wholesale Club.    As of June 20, Costco is accepting only Visa-branded credit cards chain wide.   The retailer made headlines last year when it announced that, after 16 years, it was dropping American Express as its exclusive credit card provider and switching to Visa.   

Fans of Harley-Davidson can immerse themselves in the brand at the new “1903—A Harley Davidson Cafe” in downtown Toronto.   Named for the year the company  was founded, the 4,200-sq.-ft. café features a biker-themed décor inspired by the history of the 114-year-old brand. Folks who have never hopped on a Harley can get a taste of the experience by taking a test ride on the JumpStart ride simulator.  

The idea of Starbucks serving as a “third place” outside of home and work has been reinforced with a new add-in to Microsoft Outlook.  

Amazon.com is reportedly going to make it easier for third-party sellers on its Marketplace platform to sell certain items.  

The second quarter of fiscal 2016 is not yet over for home furnishings retailer Havertys, but shareholders may have reason to be optimistic.   Havertys reported that sales for the quarter to date are up approximately 3.6% from the same period last year and comparable store sales are up 3.2%. Total written sales for the quarter to date are up approximately 7%, and written comparable store sales rose 6.7%.   

Father’s Day is Sunday, June 18, and retailers and dads alike will have reason to smile, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).    American adults who plan to consume this holiday will do so in a big way, spending an average of $169.60 at predominantly at physical retailers, according to ICSC’s most recent consumer survey.    Here are eight specific findings:  

The nation’s highest-profile electric car-marker is taking an unusual route to get its product out in front of potential customers.

Target Corp. is donating $250,000 to the OneOrlando Fund in honor of the retailer's two associates and other victims killed in the nightclub massacre that occurred early Sunday morning in Orlando, Florida.   Target lost two employees, Mercedes Flores and Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, in the mass shootings. Flores was a Target employee for eight years, and Ocasio-Capo for two years. A third Target employee remains in critical condition.