Loyalty Marketing

The largest specialty pet supplies retailer in North America is launching a digital initiative to become more customer-focused — and data-driven.    PetSmart has selected Cognizant’s customer data foundation initiative to utilize master and analytics-driven demographic, behavioral, interactional and transactional data to create custom profiles of pets and "pet parents" who visit PetSmart at its stores, online and through its mobile app.  

Personalization continues to be the trend that just won’t go away, probably because it’s the new normal in how consumers want to interact with brands and retailers. Personalized videos hold the promise to surprise and delight (and covert), especially as we collectively spend more and more of our time viewing videos online. And personalized promotions help retailers maximize scarce marketing dollars, ensuring the right customer gets the right call to action at the right time.

The Rite Aid Foundation's KidCents program announced Wednesday a $25,000 donation to the Downtown Boxing Gym Youth Program, a Detroit-based nonprofit that empowers Detroit youth to be positive and productive members of society through education, athletics, mentorship and intervention.  

Photo: Adam Ketcheson, VP marketing and business-to-consumer   A company named after the first reptile to develop the feather for flight is expanding its store portfolio.    Arc’teryx Equipment, a manufacturer and retailer of high-performance outdoor apparel and equipment, has opened a 2,300-sq.-ft. flagship in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood. It is the company’s seventh fully-owned retail store in North America, with two more locations to open by yearend. 

Starbucks Corp.’s revenue fell short in the third quarter even as its earnings were in line with expectations.       The company posted $5.24 billion in consolidated net sales for the quarter ended June 26, up 7% over the year-ago period, but below analysts’ expectations of $5.33 billion. The increase was primarily driven by the opening of 1,876 net new stores over the past 12 months and a 4% increase in global comparable store sales.    

A familiar chain has been named the most powerful retail brand of 2016.   According to the 2016 Top 100 Most Powerful Brands report from brand marketing firm Tenet Partners, Barnes & Nobile is the most powerful retail brand, and 32nd most powerful brand overall, of the year. This is the second straight year Barnes & Noble ranked highest among retailers.  

Even geeks appreciate the convenience and hands-on experience of visiting a physical store.   Recognizing the continuing popularity of brick-and-mortar, specialty video game retailer GameStop Corp. has been extending its pure-play ThinkGeek banner into physical stores. GameStop purchased ThinkGeek parent company GeekNet Inc. in 2015. ThinkGeek specializes in selling “loot,” or collectible items and memorabilia, rather than video games.  

Sequels are rarely better than the original, but the second annual Amazon Prime Day may deserve comparisons to “The Godfather Part II” and “The Empire Strikes Back.”