News

Shopper marketing conversations these days may be dominated by digital strategies, but the time worn free-standing insert continues to dominate as the distribution vehicle of choice when it comes to coupons.

FSI’s accounted for 89.6% of the 167 billion coupons distributed during the first half of the year, versus 87.3% for the same period the prior year, while digital coupons accounted for less than 1% of total volume, according to the U.S. mid-year 2011 Consumer Packaged Goods Coupon Facts Report released by NCH Marketing Services Inc., a Valassis company.

Walmart said it will donate $20 million to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art to provide for free admission for the next five years. The expansive world class facility scheduled to open Nov. 11 in Bentonville, Ark. was founded by the Walton Family Foundation in 2005.

GRAPEVINE, Texas — GameStop announced that it is now offering customers the ability to purchase digital PC games at their local store and access the titles immediately at launch. This service is available exclusively at GameStop and customers can use any form of accepted payment to make their purchase. "Deus Ex: Human Revolution" is the first of what will soon be many titles to support this new purchase method, the company reported.

Retailers who release monthly sales next Thursday will offer fresh insight and hard numbers on back-to-school shoppers’ early season spending behavior and that’s a good thing because so far opinions offered by forecasters are all over the place.

Back in early July, Customer Growth Partners said seasonal sales would grow by 6.2% to $467 billion, the most since 2006, despite economic headwinds.

SIDNEY, Neb. — Despite heat waves throughout the country that made leaving the indoors unbearable this summer, consumers still took the time to enjoy the great outdoors, as evidenced by the strong first-quarter results reported by Cabela's. The outdoor sporting goods retailer reported that total revenue for the first quarter increased 7.7% to $562.1 million. For the quarter, comparable-store sales increased 4.4%. 

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grocery distributor and retailer Spartan Stores reported that its net sales for the first quarter increased 4.4% to $602.6 million compared with $577.2 million in the same period last year. Both the distribution and retail segments reported improved sales during the quarter, the company said.

St. Louis -- Build-A-Bear Workshop reported Thursday that it narrowed its loss in the quarter ended July 2 to $6.7 million, compared with a loss of $8.5 million in the year-ago period.

The retailer increased total revenue 10% to $81.8 million, and consolidated same-store sales 7.1%.

The retailer cited improved efficiencies and reduced expenses for the performance improvements.

Amazon.com generates about three times the number of unique visitors each month that Walmart.com does, according to online measurement firm comScore, and all that traffic is allowing Amazon.com to generate record sales.