Promotional Strategy

Amazon.com is taking an interesting approach to its birthday this year. The company is throwing itself a party where all its Prime customers get the gifts. Amazon Prime Day is slated for July 15, “a one-day shopping event with more deals than Black Friday,” held ostensibly to celebrate the company’s success over its 20-year existence.…

Amazon.com’s Prime Day is tomorrow, and retailers will need to be prepared for the tidal wave of purchasing activity on Amazon. In honor of the e-commerce behemoth’s 20th birthday, Amazon plans to host a day of crazy sales and giveaways, with sales forecast to be greater than on Black Friday. Third-party Amazon sellers stand to…

The Wal-Mart vs. Amazon.com fight for retail domination just escalated. Not one to let Amazon steal the sales spotlight, Wal-Mart will launch a rival sale Wednesday to Amazon's recently announced Prime Day, including more than 2,000 online exclusive "rollbacks," Wal-Mart's word for discounts. The lower prices on items in categories including electronics, home, baby and…

Black Friday, the annual shopping extravaganza which brought in more than $1.5 billion in online sales alone last November, is arguably the single most important day for retailers in the U.S. Now Amazon.com wants to steal its thunder with Prime Day. The e-commerce giant announced that it will mark its 20th anniversary on July 15…

A marketing campaign designed to get eBay customers re-engaged went terribly wrong recently, and shoppers are underwhelmed by eBay's attempt to placate them after it reneged on the offer. eBay UK had sent shoppers coupons for 20 percent off a purchase of 20 pounds or more, with a maximum coupon value of 50 pounds. However,…

Kohl’s is about to try its hand at “off price” retail, becoming the latest retail chain to open an outlet store to lift sales and profits. The department store will open a single 30,000 square-foot store in Cherry Hill, N.J., near Philadelphia, in June that will be stocked with “like new” clothes, accessories and home…

Macy’s is launching Macy’s Backstage to help it spur growth. The outlets will offer clearance goods from Macy’s stores as well as brand

Those of you eyeing the new Apple Watch will need a reservation to buy one. Consumers who simply walk into an Apple Store expecting to purchase the new watch on the spot will apparently be out of luck, according to leaked Apple training documents obtained by MacRumors. Instead, buyers will have to reserve a specific model ahead of time via an online "product reservation" system. This tidbit itself isn't new, however. In its March 9 press release, Apple said that Apple Watch sales would start April 24 online or by reservation in its stores.

If you're an avid shopper, there's a good chance you've asked yourself some variation of these questions lately: Wasn't that store offering a "40 percent off your purchase" promotion the last time I came to the mall? And maybe the time before that? Indeed, such promotions have become a mainstay at major e-commerce sites and brick-and-mortar stores since the economic downturn, when deep discounts seemed to be the only way to get anxious consumers to make a purchase. But now, as the economic recovery strengthens, some retailers are trying to put the brakes on their years-long promotional ride.

U.S. shoppers spent 2.4 percent more during the weekend before the Christmas holiday this year, giving a boost to retailers in the final days of 2014. Purchases during the so-called Super Saturday weekend rose to $42 billion, up from $41 billion during the same weekend a year ago, said Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, a research firm. The performance on the Saturday before Christmas, one of the busiest shopping days of the year, indicates that this holiday season may fall short of early estimates that it would be the best in three years.