Pricing

Shoppers want to think they're getting a good deal. By taking advantage of sales and using coupons, they get that feeling. J.C. Penney claims it's offering "every day" low prices, which isn't true. It may fool the nonshopper, but not the shopper.

In their ongoing tug-of-war for consumers' grocery carts, Wal-Mart has again beaten Target on prices, according to the latest analysis from Kantar Retail. It won by the widest margin in seven iterations of the survey.

Target is reaching out to its vendors as part of a potential new pricing strategy to up its competitiveness with both online and brick-and-mortar rivals. The retailer has sent a letter to some of its vendors just as J.C. Penney is about unveil a sweeping overhaul of its pricing strategy. J.C. Penney plans to eliminate many of the promotions shoppers see in its stores.

J.C. Penney appears to be radically altering the way it operates by offering what it hopes will be a clearer way for consumers to determine exactly what they're paying for merchandise. The process will cut through the mind-boggling task of determining what something costs by doing away with cents on price tickets in certain cases. For instance, an item that cost $19.99 under the old system will now be $20.

With the 2011 holiday shopping season in high gear, online retailers are facing the greatest opportunities and challenges they've ever seen. With the state of the global economy still uncertain, consumers are continuing to shop with their heads rather than their hearts. For online retailers to succeed, they must stay competitive and remain flexible with pricing and other options on a daily basis. Understanding exactly what your customers see as they shop and make decisions online is critical.

Wal-Mart has lower online prices on a selection of toys this month than Target’s website and Amazon, according to a Bloomberg Industries analysis. Prices for a group of about 80 toys are 1.8 percent higher at Target and 0.7 percent more expensive at Amazon.

It wasn't that long ago that retail industry experts were saying Target needed to do something to stem the numbers of shoppers heading to Wal-Mart to buy everyday staples. Today, the company is being criticized for the low margins associated with getting greater numbers of people to buy food products in its stores. For a little history, a 2008 report by Citi Investment Research found that 87 percent of consumers perceived Wal-Mart to have lower prices than Target. Many consumers were flocking to supercenters that offered food items not available at locations with the bull's-eye logo.

Newegg Inc., the largest tech-focused pure-play online retailer, announced the official opening of its first-ever "Will-Call" pickup location. Customers of Newegg.com and NeweggBusiness in the Los Angeles area now have the opportunity to save time and money by ordering online and then picking up their orders directly from the Newegg warehouse.

Just in time for Mother's Day, Gucci is selling a limited-edition tote — of which 25 percent of the retail price from each bag sold will be donated to UNICEF HIV/AIDS programs.

Office Depot will recognize educators with a Teacher Appreciation Week that will take place from May 1 through May 7 at nationwide retail store locations.