Sales & Marketing

Camp Hill, Penn. –- Same-store sales increased 5.5% in Oct. 2014 at Rite Aid Corp. compared to the same month in the prior year. Total drugstore sales rose 5% to $2.06 billion compared to $1.96 billion.   October front-end same store-sales increased 2%. Pharmacy same-store sales, which included a negative impact from new generic introductions, increased 7.1%.

Get it before it’s gone is the message Amazon is sharing with holiday shoppers as it looks to drive sales of limited duration “Lightning Deals” supported by enhanced same day delivery capabilities.

Amazon’s countdown to Black Friday and then Christmas involves a strategy of featuring roughly 15,000 products the online retailer promotes as Lightning Deals because of reduced pricing during a tight promotional window.

Ann Arbor, Mich. -- Fifty-seven percent of consumers use their smartphones to assist shopping activities in store. According to new data from CFI Group's report "Holiday Shopping 2014: Shutting Down the Showroom Effect," which surveyed 1,000 U.S. consumers and is sponsored by EBay Enterprise, 60% of survey respondents compare retailer's prices to their online competitors, while 63% use their phones to check prices at other local stores.  

By Tracy Sloger, DataSource   The role of “marketer” is not as simple as it used to be. Outbound and inbound methods are constantly evolving as traditional marketing efforts become more complex, and newer digital tactics are implemented and maintained at breathtaking speeds. Omnichannel marketing, while still a buzzword for some, is becoming more real for many.   

America’s most affluent prefer Nordstrom’s brand of omnichannel retail over some of the biggest luxury retailers out there, according to a new study.

An organization called the Luxury Institute released findings from its 2015 Luxury Multichannel Engagement Index (LMEI) survey of large multi-brand retailers. Responders had a minimum annual income of $150,000, an average annual income of $318,000 and an average net worth of $3.1 million.

New York –- Online footwear retailer Zappos is ranked the simplest brand in the U.S. And that’s a good thing. According to the new Brand Simplicity Index ranking of U.S. brands from brand advisory firm Siegel & Gale, the top 10 list is dominated by retailers. The list includes Amazon.com at number two, Subway (#3), Pizza Hut (#4), Netflix (#5), Trader Joe’s (#6), Kroger (#7), McDonald’s (#8), Chipotle (#9) and Dunkin’ Donuts (#10).

Toronto, Canada –- Luxury outdoor apparel brand Canada Goose is using Demandware Commerce to power its global direct-to-consumer strategy. Canada Goose’s first ecommerce site, serving consumers in Canada, went live in August.   

Former Toys “R” Us president Neil Friedman has joined toy manufacturer Alex Brands as president and CEO.

Friedman has been appointed to the Alex Brands board of directors earlier this year.  Prior to that he was president of the U.S. division at Toys “R” Us and also served as president at Mattel Brands, Fisher-Price Brands, Tyco Preschool and MCA/Universal Merchandising. Friedman is a member of the Toy Industry Hall of Fame and the International Licensing Industry Merchandiser’s Association’s Hall of Fame.