Sales & Marketing

Sidney, Neb. -- Firethorn Mobile, Inc.! said Friday that outdoor retailer Cabela’s will use the Swagg Smartphone application, providing shoppers with mobile access to special retail offers and customer loyalty programs.

The app includes a GPS locater, providing customers with a localized merchant list and detailed description according to their current location. It will also feature user-generated cards, in which users can add their own cards such as AAA, American Red Cross, library, and local merchants.

CINCINNATI — Kroger announced that its annual Honoring Our Heroes fundraising campaign to support the United Service Organizations garnered $1.5 million.

The funds were raised in partnership with customers and associates through a variety of in-store activities at Kroger stores nationwide, as well as online at HonoringOurHeroes.com. Procter & Gamble and Anheuser Busch also participated in the program and contributed $250,000 each in conjunction with special sales programs in Kroger stores.

St. Petersburg, Fla. -- HSN will introduce a new way for consumers to shop with their television when it debuts Quick Response codes live on HSN HD during its bi-annual “Innovation Weekend” event, which runs Oct. 7 to Oct. 10. It will be the first ever retailer to use QR codes on-air.

Indianapolis -- Marsh Supermarkets said Thursday that it will lower prices on select items in a move to spur sales and loyalty.

The program, called Good ‘Til, launched this month and guarantees that prices on the most popular items won't increase for at least three months even if industry retail prices increase.

The three-month guarantees will be offered four times per year.

Tampa, Fla. -- Regional grocer Winn-Dixie said it is working hard to change a tarnished image.

The chain, fresh out of bankruptcy, is in the throes of rolling out its previously announced remodeling, expansion and new development plan that involves an investment of about $100 million.

In Sarasota, Fla., a remodeled store will feature such upgraded features as a café with free Wi-Fi, an imported wine and craft beer section, a sushi bar, pizza bar and several stations where chefs prepare hot dinners for shoppers on the go.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — HSN is bringing Quick Response (QR) codes to a new shopping frontier by becoming the first retailer to use them on television.

Through Oct. 10 as part of the company's Innovation Weekend event, HSN will debut QR codes on its HD channel, which currently reaches approximately 43 million households. Customers will be able to scan the QR code of hundreds of products, the company said, giving them access the product information page on their mobile device, learn more about the product and purchase with ease.

New York City -- Macy’s saw same-store sales rise 4.9% in September, and total sales increased 5.3% to $2.298 billion in the five-week period.

“We continued to see a strong sales trend in September at both Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s,” said Terry J. Lundgren, chairman, president and CEO of Macy’s. “Our sales performed well both in stores and online. This underscores that our business remains on track, despite the persistently negative macroeconomic news.”

Walmart continues to be the undisputed champ when it comes to the lowest prices, but recent “studies” indicate a range of opinions as to whether the champ is retaining the title in split decision bouts that go the distance as opposed to first round knock outs.

The variation in opinion depends on who you ask and where you look. The pricing gap between Target and Walmart narrowed last month to a scant 1.7% as Walmart took prices up slightly during August while Target did the opposite, according to a monthly survey by the retail research team at Credit Suisse.