Marketing Tactics

Retailers tend to be at their charitable best during key seasonal periods and that’s been the case with Office Depot and back-to-school season for the past 15 years.

Portland, Ore. – Specialty membership-based outdoor retailer The Clymb targets active consumers with an active, content-driven marketing strategy. The Clymb drives people to its e-commerce site with content such as photos of outdoor activities on social networks like Instagram.

San Jose, Calif. – Back-to-school shoppers are doing their homework online before making purchases. According to research from store analytics provider RetailNext, 73% of consumers research online and then buy back-to-school items in the store.

In addition, 32% of college shoppers plan to comparison shop online to make sure they get the best pricing, up from 28% in 2014. More than 31% of K-12 school shoppers will compare prices online, compared with 30% last year.

Other notable findings include:

Rite Aid stores are hoping to attract more back-to-school shoppers with a new assortment of supplies, including affordable electronics and dorm room decor.

“We know that students and parents are looking for a stress-free and seamless transition as summer winds down and the new school year starts,” said Tony Montini, Rite Aid executive vice president of merchandising. “With our 4,600 convenient locations, large assortment of products and great prices, our customers will find everything they need to succeed and stand out this school year.”

The pervasiveness of smartphones is making this back-to-school season the most technology-influenced ever, and a new study from Synchrony Financial provides fresh insight on the impact digital tools are having.

Mall operator Simon knows teen girls are a key part of its consumer base, and it is courting them this summer.

Beijing, China - Tmall.com, an online shopping platform run by Alibaba Group, is launching same-day grocery delivery services to residents of Beijing. Beijing residents who order from Tmall’s supermarket before 11 a.m. will be eligible for the delivery service, called Tmall Supermarket.

Tmall is partnering with Cainiao, the logistics affiliate of Alibaba Group, to deliver the service, In the future, Tmall Supermarket and Cainiao plan to roll-out same-day delivery services to Shanghai and other Chinese cities.

Seattle – Amazon.com is always trying to improve its overseas operations, and now the e-commerce titan is “getting the picture” in the U.K. market. According to TechCrunch, Amazon has opened a 46,000-sq.-ft. photography studio in London.