Loyalty Marketing

Jacksonville, Fla. — A new report from Acosta Sales and Marketing reveals that consumers at all income levels consider price before making a purchase, showing that economic concerns affect everyone.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Leveraging the deep understanding of its customer base via insights gained through its ExtraCare loyalty program, CVS/pharmacy officially unveiled on Thursday a new personalized digital experience on CVS.com, which features extensive health information and resources in addition to customized deals and savings information.

Wading through retail technological innovations and deciding what options and applications should be top priority can be daunting at best. But the opportunities clearly outweigh the challenges, said Epicor Solutions’ Douglas Taylor in an interview with Chain Store Age.

What are the biggest operational challenges facing retailers today?

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid maintained its same-store sales momentum, posting gains across front-end and pharmacy comparable sales for the sixth consecutive quarter: Overall same-store sales were up 2.5%, reflecting a 2.7% across the front-end and a 2.4% uptick across pharmacy, for the first quarter ended June 2.

By Andrew Wren, Wren Solutions

It’s no secret in the loss prevention industry that sweethearting, the practice of giving customers unauthorized discounts or free merchandise or services, is a major source of loss in retail. In fact, it has long been recognized as the most common type of employee theft and the largest contributor to loss in the industry. It is also a unique challenge to loss prevention efforts. Unlike other forms of employee theft, both the customer and the employee are aware of sweethearting.

Ideeli will be able to further expand its capabilities, thanks to a $30 million investment from Credit Suisse and current institutional investors. According to the company, the new capital will be used to strengthen its infrastructure and fuel the flash-sales retailer's growth prospects.

Woonsocket, R.I. -- CVS/pharmacy officially unveiled on Thursday a new personalized digital experience on CVS.com, which features extensive health information and resources in addition to customized deals and savings information.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Hallmark has formed a strategic alliance with Shutterfly Inc., an Internet-based photo sharing company. The alliance, which will roll out in phases, includes co-branded online and retail-based product offerings.