Marketing Tactics

Rack Room Shoes builds mobile loyalty program from ground up

Increasingly, people are endlessly fascinated by the traits, values, work habits and shopping patterns of millennials, also called Generation Y. Why is all this attention being paid to people born between the early 1980s and 2000s? It’s quite simple: They are a generation of influence, in numbers similar to that of baby boomers, but with an outlook unlike one we have ever seen.

According to Javelin Strategy & Research, by 2015, Gen Y income is projected to exceed that of boomers.

Aussie apparel brand Cotton On is as much about fun-fashion as it is about fast-fashion. The Geelong, Victoria-based brand operates more stores in the United States (124) than Zara and Uniqlo combined, and is an international behemoth with more than 1,300 stores operating globally under 10 different banners, including the 522-unit Cotton On, Cotton Body, Cotton On Kids, FREE by Cotton On and Rubi Shoes.

Growth has been fast and strategic, but peppered with humor, optimism and the occasional dose of controversy.

Milford, Conn. – Subway Restaurants is partnering with Diet Coke in a new omnichannel promotion with a grand prize of meeting pop singer Taylor Swift in person. The #MeetTaylor contest, which runs Oct. 1 – Nov. 15, includes restaurant, social, online, TV and radio promotions.

Limited-edition Diet Coke cups will feature Swift’s likeness and also will carry specially-marked codes for a chance to win, daily in October, a meet and greet opportunity with Taylor Swift on her 2015 concert tour.

Dublin, Calif. - Ross Dress for Less will open a new store in Southern California, on Oct. 11. The store is located in the La Mesa Center in the city of La Mesa, a suburb of San Diego.  

This new opening is part of the retailer’s 2014 expansion program, totaling approximately 75 new locations during the year. 

Dublin, Calif. – DD’s Discounts, a division of Ross Stores Inc., will open a new store in Houston, on Sept. 27. The store is located in the Mission Bend Shopping Center in the Mission Bend neighborhood.

Including this new location, DD’s Discounts will operate more than 150 locations in 15 states and is on schedule to complete its expansion plan to open approximately 20 locations in 2014.

New York -- DSW Inc. is opening new stores in Watertown, New York, and Louisville, Kentucky, on Oct. 2. The Watertown store will be located in the Salmon Run Mall and the Louisville store will be located across from St. Matthew’s Mall.

DSW offers other features including the DSW Rewards loyalty program and the Shoe Lovers community on Facebook.

Belk’s fall charity sale of the year will take place Saturday, Nov. 8 from 6–10 a.m. at all Belk stores, helping thousands of participating charities across the retailer’s 16-state footprint.

The four-hour, in-store shopping event is an excellent fund-raising tool for participating organizations that sell $5 tickets to their supporters. It’s also an opportunity for customers to give back to local nonprofits while taking advantage of special in-store discounts on purchases during the event.

Meijer has launched a first-of-its-kind food solutions program in each of its 213 stores. According to the retailer, “Ready! For You” is designed to meet the tastes and lifestyles of busy families by providing recipe ideas, inspiration and savings opportunities in-store and online.