Marketing Tactics

Pataskala, Ohio – Specialty apparel retailer Avenue Stores is turning its online customers into brand advocates by using ShopSocially’s referral marketing solution to generate referrals from its website users.    By encouraging users to connect with the Avenue brand on Facebook and share their purchases on social media, Avenue is driving word-of-mouth promotions resulting in a referral traffic that is converting at a rate as high as 28.48%.   

Camp Hill, Penn. - Rite Aid is ringing in the New Year by offering members of its wellness+ loyalty program the opportunity to receive lifestyle and entertainment rewards for every $50 spent in stores on participating products through Jan. 24. To participate in a promotion Rite Aid is calling “Happy You Year,” members of the wellness+ loyalty program can look for the red "Buy & Earn" symbol on store shelves. 

Grand Rapids, Mich. - Craft Retail Group, part of the U.K.-based Ideal Shopping Direct multichannel retail shopping group, is launching the U.S. broadcast of its Create and Craft shopping network. The network, in partnership with Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, offers products and brands across craft, sewing, quilting, knitting, and niche creative arts.  

Lebanon, Tenn. – Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is taking a decidedly new-fangled approach to promotion. The casual dining chain has enlisted Nashville-based advertising agency Redpepper to create a holiday-themed social marketing campaign.   The promotion targets a younger, more social demographic with Facebook posts. Some posts in the campaign have received more than 10,000 interactions.

Reston, Va. -  Although full results aren’t in yet, holiday e-commerce sales in 2014 look like a healthy improvement from 2013. According to data from comScore, for the holiday season Nov. 1 through Dec. 21, $48.3 billion has been spent online, marking a 15% increase from the corresponding days the previous year.   

 

Firehouse Subs has a lot more going for it than an interesting story. And the story is unique: A couple of Jacksonville firefighters — brothers, even — opened the first restaurant in 1994, selling sandwiches (with names like ‘Hook & Ladder,’ which is the No. 1 seller) within a decidedly firefighter-themed restaurant environment. The concept was hot from the get-go, leaping to over 300 units in its first decade and now numbering near 900 mostly franchised restaurants.

 

By Ryan Gilchrist

Walmart, Kohl’s, Macy’s and select other retailers already rank among the nation’s leading producers of solar energy, with huge investments that are growing every year. But the industry’s strong position in renewable energy still has room for improvement — literally — with millions of unutilized roof space, prime real estate for solar panels and wind turbines.

Rite Aid wants to ring in the New Year with more sales and is counting on a generous new seasonal savings and rewards initiative.

The company has announced it is offering its wellness+ loyalty program members the opportunity to receive lifestyle and entertainment rewards for every $50 spent in stores on participating products now through Jan. 24.

It remains to be seen how Big Lots performed this holiday season, but the closeout retailer’s catchy and original television advertising drew accolades from industry experts.

In a recent piece in Ad Age, Big Lot’s holiday campaign “Nailed It” was singled out by writer Ken Wheaton as the top campaign of the season.

Tractor Supply Company has strengthened its partnership with the National 4-H Council by taking in $763,283 for the organization during a 10-day national in-store fundraiser.

With the $1.5 million Tractor Supply raised during spring and fall campaigns, Tractor Supply has now donated nearly $6.5 million to 4-H programs across the country in just over four years.