Marketing Tactics

Inland Real Estate Corporation has changed its name to IRC Retail Centers Inc.

The company unveiled a new brand identity in line with its name change, which coincides with the acquisition of Inland by funds managed by DRA Advisors LLC. The updated identity includes a new logo, tagline and updated website.

Edison, N.J. -- X Team International announced that partner, Welco Realty has completed a 65,000 sq. ft. lease on behalf of Hartz Mountain Industries for the first northeast location of Topgolf, which will join Edison Towne Square in Edison, New Jersey.

Topgolf will be a stand-alone venue as part of a larger retail development for Edison Towne Square, which is situated on the site of the former Ford Motor plant located one mile south of the intersection of the NJ Turnpike and I-287. The venue is slated to open between fall 2016 and winter 2017.

Ikea has formed an unprecedented partnership with fashion designers to launch new limited edition collections in Canada.

Between April and September, Ikea will be launching three new collections created in collaboration with fashion designers from across Europe. The move marks the first time that Ikea has teamed up with fashion designers to create collections that respond directly to current trends and fuse various influences to give customers cutting-edge design at affordable prices.

When it comes to buying products, consumers are particular about who and what they trust to get advice.

According to a survey of nearly 14,000 adults conducted in early March by social retail technology provider Collective Bias, Facebook and YouTube are the most persuasive social channels for consumer purchases. About 19% of consumers find Facebook to influence their purchasing decision most, with YouTube coming in second at nearly 18%. YouTube is especially popular with men (23%) compared to women (14%).

One of the most buzzed-about retail brands is setting up shop — temporarily — in some hip hotels.

Canadian apparel retailer Kit and Ace is opening a a series of pop-ups in collaboration with luxury hotels in major cities across the globe. The pop-up, called “The Carry-on,” will make its debut in April, at the Hotel Zetta in San Francisco (for full listing, see end of article). It will offer a selection of easy-pack, carry-on essentials from Kit and Ace.

Gen Z and Millennials are big on physical stores — even more so than their older counterparts.

That’s one of the findings of a new research study by insights firm iModerate in which 74% of all respondents said it is important for brands to have a physical location rather than solely selling online. Interestingly, 80% of Gen Zers and 82% of Millennials respondents said it is important, compared to 69% of Gen Xers and 65% of Boomers.