News

Sears to raise $2.5 billion in REIT; announces joint venture with General Growth
Hoffman Estates, Ill. – Sears Holding Corp. is forming a real estate investment trust (REIT) called Seritage Growth Properties, which will purchase 254 Sears and Kmart stores for more than $2.5 billion. Seritage will partially fund the transaction through a public rights offering.
Ace is now the place for store pickup
Ace Hardware is following the omnichannel retail fulfillment trend of free same-day store pickup for online orders.

The retailer had launched the service at some stores in 2014, but is now rolling it out nationwide.

The program “enables consumers in neighborhoods across the country to complete their home maintenance projects more quickly and easily than they were able to before,” Jeff Gooding, the retailer’s senior director of consumer marketing, said in a statement.

Charming Charlie offers digital gift cards

Hosuton - Fashion accessories retailer Charming Charlie recently expanded its relationship with Stored Value Solutions (SVS) to offer e-commerce distribution of digital gift cards. Charming Charlie originally associated with SVS in 2012 for gift card processing in their more than 340 stores across the U.S.

Since introducing online access to digital eCards to complement the availability of physical cards, Charming Charlie gift cards purchased online during the winter holiday season grew by an exponential rate year-over-year.
Walmart commends Arkansas governor for reconsidering controversial religious bill

New York – Walmart on Wednesday sent out a tweet in which it commended Arkansas Gov. Hutchinson and legislative leaders for reconsidering a law that some people and organizations fear would open the door to discrimination against gays and lesbians. The “religious freedom” measure (HB1228) in Arkansas is similar to the one that has kicked up a firestorm in Indiana. Earlier in the day on Wednesday, Gov, Hutchinson said he wouldn’t sign the bill in its present form and called for changes to be made.
Fowler tees up campaign for PGA Superstore

The PGA Tour Superstore is looking to leverage the popularity of golfer Rickie Fowler with a new marketing campaign.

Fowler, one of the PGA Tour’s rising young stars, will help the retailer introduce a multi-faceted Custom Fit Campaign and Meet Rickie promotion.
Study: Brands don’t understand consumers

Armonk, N.Y. – There is a significant perception gap between how well businesses think they are marketing and the actual customer's experience. A U.S. study of 276 marketers and more than 1,100 consumers, developed by Econsultancy for IBM found that almost 90% of marketers agree that personalizing the customer experience is critical to their success.

Despite this widespread agreement, nearly 80% of consumers stated that the average brand doesn't understand them as an individual.
GNC names new marketing partners

On the heels of questions over quality control standards for its herbal supplements, GNC has announced three new marketing partners.

GNC said the new agency partners – Consigliere (brand management/creative/advertising), CROSSMEDIA (media/communications planning) and 22squared (digital and social media) – will help drive profitable growth for the brand.
P&G sponsors Black Girls Rock! Awards

Procter & Gamble is expanding its outreach to African American consumers with its sponsorship of the 2015 Black Girls Rock! Awards.

The company, together with Target, will celebrate African American girls who are making a positive difference and will invite the community to “change the beauty conversation” by joining P&G’s Imagine a Future (IAF) program.
RadioShack survives bankruptcy with 1,743 stores

Fort Worth, Texas – In what may be a tale of survival to rival the PT 109 ordeal of John F. Kennedy, RadioShack Corp. will exit Chapter 11 bankruptcy with some 1,700 stores intact.

A bankruptcy judge on Tuesday approved the sale of 1,743 RadioShack stores to hedge fund Standard General, preserving some 7,500 jobs, the Wall Street Journal reported. Standard General intends to operate most of the preserved RadioShack stores in an alliance with Sprint Corp.
Report: Sprint may be saving RadioShack

A plan to co-brand RadioShack stores with the Sprint logo will apparently save the chain from extinction, according to the Wall Street Journal.