ECRM compared retail circular advertising in April 2012 vs. April 2013 and noticed some common overall trends across top retail chains. While looking at the data, the biggest change from April 2012 to April 2013 came from Lowe’s Home Improvement.

ECRM compared retail circular advertising in March 2012 vs. March 2013 and noticed some common overall trends across top retail chains. Surprisingly the total number of pages per circular increased across the majority of retailers included in the study which shows that retailers are still focused heavily on their print circulars.

Efficient Collaborative Retail Marketing reported that the current drought conditions have yet to lead to an increase in food prices.

Charlie Bowlus, CEO and founder of ECRM has died unexpectedly from complications following emergency surgery three weeks ago.

Looking for insight into promotional efforts at Walmart and other retailers? Check out the new series of reports from ECRM at a newly launched website at www.promotionalreflections.com.

According to ECRM, the new resources provide a unique perspective on retail promotions from Walmart, Kroger, Walgreens, Safeway, Best Buy, OfficeMax, Aldi, and 160 additional retailers in the U.S. and Canada. Promotional Reflections reports examine holiday promotions, key product categories, and retail channels. Using data from ECRM’s Ad Comparisons database, data is analyzed to offer unique insights into how retailers advertise brands. The reports include trends, key findings, share of ads, creative strategies, top categories promoted, retail circular comparisons, and more.

Reports released recently include the following: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Perishable Foods. ECRM plans to release reports on topics relating to Holiday Shopping, Pet Supplies, Health & Beauty, Super Bowl, Back-to-School and more throughout 2011. The Promotional Reflections reports can be found at www.promotionalreflections.com.