ECRM compared retail circular advertising in August 2013 versus August 2014 and noted trends occurring across top retail chains. Back-to-school season was in full swing, yet the drug retailers took opposite approaches totheir promotions. Walgreens featured multiple BTS promotions on each of its front pages both this year and last. On the other hand, CVS’s front pages did not feature any traditional school/office supplies, instead focusing on the cosmetics category in three of its four August 2014 circulars. Last year, CVS did not feature any strong front page themes for the month.
Target and Walmart also took opposite approaches, despite their similar total page counts. Target released four circulars yearly, with the first three featuring a BTS emphasis followed by a football season-focused electronics circular. Most of these were at least 32 pages long. Walmart released nine to 10 circulars each August, with six of this year’s being six pages or fewer. The larger circulars tended to carry the BTS theme, while the smaller ones focused on more niche themes: one was devoted to car care, another solely to yogurt.
About ECRM’s Business Intelligence:
ECRM’s Ad Comparisons technology captures promotional data from the top U.S. and Canadian retailers in all major markets. Ad Comparisons captures more than 40 metrics for each ad block and provides hundreds of analytic reports to put the advertising data in context. Ad Comparisons takes an individual approach to ensure all data and reports fit the needs of each user.