Loyalty Marketing

Bentonville, Ark. -- In the latest move in its battle against Costco, Sam's Club is going to start accepting the very form of payment that Costco rebuffed earlier this year.

Starting Oct. 1, all Sam’s Club locations in the U.S. and Puerto Rico will take American Express cards at checkout. Earlier this year Costco ended its 16-year relationship with American in favor of Visa after the two companies could not come to an agreement on new terms.

Fremont, Calif. – The Men’s Wearhouse Inc. likes the way its second quarter earnings look — even if its Jos. A. Bank unit continues to struggle.

Net earnings almost quadrupled to $47.8 million from $12.3 million, beating Wall Street estimates.

Anaheim, Calif. – Pacific Sunwear of California Inc. is launching a major expense reduction initiative in the wake of disappointing second quarter results.

A California-based teen retailer is launching a major expense reduction initiative in the wake of disappointing second quarter results.

The CEO of Men’s Wearhouse Inc. says the company is well-positioned to implement its growth strategy despite lackluster second quarter results and a struggling Jos. A. Bank unit.

New York -- While the use of technology in shopping is almost universal, brick-and-mortar stands strong, with the “omnishopper” choosing physical stores for better customer service and a faster, more social buying experience.

That’s one of the key findings of a report released on Wednesday by MasterCard, which notes that the continued appeal of physical retail might be a contributor to e-commerce’s relatively flat growth as a share of total retail sales (7.5% globally).

Seattle – Amazon is priming the appetites of customers in Seattle with a new feature of its Prime Now one-hour delivery service.

Members of the Amazon Prime paid loyalty program in Seattle can order delivery from participating local restaurants using the Prime Now mobile app.

Prime members can view participating restaurants, browse menus, place orders and track the status of their delivery in real time. Once an order is placed, Amazon delivery drivers pick up and deliver the food within an hour or less.

Toronto – Consumers are willing share their personal data with brands — even though they feel they aren’t getting much value in return.

According to a new study from marketing loyalty and analytics provider Aimia, 80% of consumers around the world are willing to share key pieces of personal information with brands.  

Yet only 8% of consumers around the world feel as though they are actually receiving better offers from companies as a result of sharing their details.