Loyalty Marketing

Currency fluctuations and promotional costs led Etsy.com to report another lackluster quarter of financial results, as the retailer warned more trouble may lie ahead.

The New York-based e-commerce site for handmade and vintage goods blamed currency headwinds and marketing expenses for a loss of $6.35 million in the second quarter ended June 30. That was wider than the $3.15 million reported a year earlier. Sales rose 44% from a year ago to $61.4 million, matching the sales growth from three months prior.

Roseville, Mich. – Developing customer rewards programs costs money, but when done correctly pays big dividends. The National Coney Island restaurant chain has successfully increased guest frequency and spend with its Paytronix-powered Coney Bucks rewards program.

An instant-wins promotion almost doubled new Coney Bucks registrations over the average previous months' registrations. National Coney Island replaced its coupon-based advertising program with the Coney Bucks rewards program, which is built on the Paytronix Rewards Platform.

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. has made its first major foray into beacon technology as the retailer continues to look for ways to enhance the in-store shopping experience with digital tools.

The retailer announced it is testing beacons at 50 stores nationwide, including locations in Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, New York City, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Francisco and Seattle. The company said it plans to expand the service to more stores later this year.

Target has become one of the largest retailers to enhance the in-store shopping experience while simultaneously bridging its physical and online experiences with new technology. 

Seattle – Consumers are partial to online marketplaces when it comes to choosing a starting point for digital shopping journeys. According to a new research study from Amazon.com and Pymnts.com titled “Innovation and the Digital Shopper,” 64% of respondents begin their shopping journey on online marketplaces.

Chicago -- Some shopping centers are getting dog friendly.

In response to consumer demand for dog-friendly retail centers, nearly 30 JLL-managed properties are now encouraging shoppers to bring their canine companions to the mall for themed events from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. each Wednesday in August.

The newly launched Dog Days program will test the markets’ receptiveness to a dog-friendly shopping experience with four themed nights at participating centers:

Consumers don’t see “channels.” They are time-starved and information-rich, and use technology that they carry around in their pockets and purses to find the best solutions to their lifestyle needs.

The practice in retail of creating different brand experiences in different channels has gone beyond being an inconvenience to shoppers. It is the central challenge that retailers are grappling with today.

Concord, Calif. -- It’s changing of the guard time at the 157-store BevMo!.

BevMo! announced that Dimitri Haloulos has been appointed CEO, effective Sept. 1. Haloulos, who joined Albertsons Safeway in 2011 and most recently served as senior VP of Own Brands, has spent his career in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) and retail space as an executive in sales, marketing and research across a number of global brands