Marketing Tactics

Express Inc. is turning to Kate Upton again as an integral part of the company’s turnaround strategy.

The retailer, which has seen stunted growth in recent years, hired the trendy supermodel last fall, the company's first time featuring a celebrity in an ad campaign in over a decade. Now Upton is back for spring promotions.

Whole Foods is putting its motto -- whole foods, whole people, whole planet -- to the test with a new initiative to alleviate poverty through microcredit.

The retailer is partnering with its own Whole Planet Foundation on an effort to raise $5 million in 42 days to fund microlending programs worldwide.

Retailers who sell Nestle candy may soon be hearing a lot from their customers about changes in the taste or color of their favorite confections.

That’s because Nestlé has pledged to remove all artificial flavors and colors from its chocolate and sweets in the United States.

Seattle -- Starbucks Coffee Company is taking its coffee to an entirely new level as it continues to target consumers who are willing to pay for super-premium brews. The company said Tuesday it will offer online customers subscription delivery of its small-lot coffees.

New York – A majority of business websites are not ready for prime time, at least when it comes to global commerce.

According to a new survey from multilingual search agency Oban Digital, while 67% of business executive respondents say that internationalization is a key part of their growth strategy, only 20% of businesses have all of their current online communications adapted for local culture or language, a key driver of sales success.

By Haydn Simpson, NetNames

Armonk, N.Y. - Consumers headed online for their Valentine’s Day shopping this year. According to IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark data, during Valentine’s week (Feb. 7 – 13) online shopping rose 10.2% from the same period in 2014.

In addition to overall sales, consumers ramped up their shopping efforts the week leading up to Valentine’s Day. Growth was seen in key verticals including:

Jewelry retailer James Avery is offering shoppers a more interactive experience, one that connects customers to the brand, at its store in Apharetta, Georgia.  

In creating the next “home” for the 60plus-store James Avery, the challenge was to find a way to bridge current customers’ expectations and history with an invitation to new consumers who may not be familiar with the brand.

From drones to self-driving cars to a Barbie capable of having “real conversations with kids,” the 112th Toy Fair announced this year's hottest trends in toys.

Creative toys that epitomize the Maker Movement (explained below), innovative "smart" playthings, and toys that make a "splash" are among the top toy trends of 2015, according to experts at the U.S. Toy Industry Association (TIA).

Michaels is broadening is involvement with a global charity focused on improving the health of children and families.

Michaels and its subsidiary Aaron Brothers have supported Starlight since 2010. The expanded partnership will increase the company's involvement through a wide range of programs that include corporate contributions, in-store promotions, customer donation programs, associate-driven events and giving, vendor engagement, product donations and more.