Marketing Tactics

A major U.S. retailer has launched preorders for the Pebble Time, just days after the Apple Watch became available at Apple's own retail stores.

Best Buy is selling red, white and black versions of the Time for $200 each. The retailer has yet to say when the watch will be available for in-store shopping. The smartwatch is available for sale only through the manufacturer and Best Buy.

Rebel flags are now a hot commodity after numerous retailers yanked Confederate-related merchandise from their stores and websites.

Wal-Mart, Sears and eBay announced their decisions Monday, and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley called on legislators to remove the flag from the statehouse grounds. After doing so, sales of Confederate flags spiked on Amazon to claim first, second, and third place on the site's list of biggest sales gainers in the previous 24 hours. Prices ranged from under $2 to nearly $16 per flag.

The trajectory of gift card sales is a true testament to their importance at given points in the calendar. Smart retailers have ramped up their gift card offerings both in the store and online; and from the recipients’ point of view, we know from our consumer research that gift cards rank as the No. 1 preferred holiday gift, and have done so for the last eight years — above and beyond any other gift — because they offer customers unlimited selection, pure convenience and personal choice.

Enter promotions

Seattle – Starbucks Corp. putting its money where its mouth is in terms of ethical and sustainable sourcing. Starbucks is making a new commitment to contribute $30 million in the next five years as part of its Global Farmer Fund program that aids sustainable farming operations.

Ann Arbor, Mich. – A no-hitter is an exciting event for baseball fans. For digitally connected baseball fans who also love pizza, no-hitters just got more exciting.

Domino’s Pizza and Major League Baseball (MLB) are extending an omnichannel partnership that provides free pizzas to the first 20,000 registered MLB.com users who visit a dedicated MLB.com/dominos page and log in. The offer is redeemable for carryout pizzas only and available for five consecutive days or until 20,000 codes are given away.

Canton, Mass. - Dunkin' Donuts has opened its newest hotel location at the Great Wolf Lodge in Sandusky, Ohio, making it the fifth restaurant to open under a franchising agreement between Dunkin' Donuts and Great Wolf Resorts. Dunkin' Donuts has existing restaurants at Great Wolf Lodge in Concord, North Carolina; Williamsburg, Virginia; Traverse City, Michigan; and Fitchburg, Massachusetts.

Columbus, Ohio -- Big Lots is diversifying its multicultural outreach. The off-price retailer announced the launch of Big Lots Latino, a new Spanish language information hub for Hispanic customers. The site provides culturally relevant information including tips and ideas on home decor, beauty & health, food & recipes, and crafts.

Big Lots is targeting Hispanic shoppers with a new Spanish language information hub for Latino customers. 

Big Lots Latino, which provides culturally relevant information including tips and ideas on home decor, beauty & health, food & recipes, and crafts, is just one additional way the company is diversifying its multicultural outreach to this rapidly growing segment of the U.S. population

The Walmart Foundation is making a big statement in support of free school meal and education programs.

The organization will give away $15.5 million in grants to seven national nonprofits to support free meal and nutrition education programs this summer and throughout the school year. The programs in more than 7,700 communities across the country will help over 1 million low-income children and their families gain access to critical meals and teach them how to cook and eat healthy together.