Loyalty Marketing

Petaluma, Calif. -- Research results released Wednesday by multichannel commerce solution-provider MarketLive found that mobile will be used heavily for researching deals, making purchases and connecting with merchants across channels this holiday season.

According to the annual "Mindset of a Multi-Channel Shopper" survey, in 2012, customers will spend about the same amount on holiday gifts as last year—but a greater share of that spending will be online.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Fred's will now offer Western Union prepaid cards at 645 stores in 15 states.

Available cards will include the MoneyWise and Gold Card MasterCards and the Western Union Telemundo MasterCard. All three of the cards can be used anywhere debit MasterCard is accepted, including at ATMs and for online shopping. Cards can be “topped up” or reloaded with cash at one of 45,000 Western Union Agent locations in the United States or at any Fred’s location that offers the cards.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Kmart and Sears are eliminating layaway service fees, starting a layaway home-delivery service and new in-store mobile features for what the company expects to be the busiest shopping season since 2007.

Mahwah, N.J. -- The Brick Group, one of Canada’s largest volume retailers of home furnishings, bedding, appliances, and home electronics under one roof, has selected TD Financing Services Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank and an affiliate of Mahwah, N.J.-based TD Retail Card Services, to administer its private label credit program.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Meijer is extending its fuel savings program will continue through the holiday, providing Meijer credit card customers with a 10 cent per gallon discount on fuel during the busy travel season.

The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer's discount program is available at all 180 Meijer gas stations and will run through Jan. 5.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid unveiled what it called its "next generation" Wellness store as the chain reported a decrease in same-store sales Thursday.

The store, in Lemoyne, Pa., is less than a mile from the 4,639-store chain's Camp Hill, Pa., headquarters. A ribbon-cutting Thursday morning marked the store's grand opening.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears Holdings is now offering its Kmart and Sears customers the option of ship-to-home delivery for items purchased through online layaway.

The new service – also available on store kiosks now enables shoppers to select, purchase and have the items delivered directly to their homes, bypassing the layaway line altogether. Both retailers will begin the exclusive layaway ship-to-home service starting Nov. 7.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Wednesday posted a 7.8% decline in its September sales to nearly $5.5 billion, compared with $5.9 billion for the same month in fiscal 2012.