Circuit City Guarantees 24-Minute In-Store Pickup

Half of Circuit City’s customers who purchase from the retailer online choose the in-store pickup option, and now those orders are guaranteed to be ready at the store of choice within 24 minutes of order confirmation, DM News reports.

The guarantee covers purchases of $25 or more made through the website, catalog (which launched in July), or call centers. Not covered is the amount of time a customer spends waiting on line in stores to pick up the purchase. Purchases made the day after Thanksgiving, and the two days following Christmas, are also exempt.

EmailLabs, Coremetrics Partner for Targeted Campaigns

EmailLabs and Coremetrics have formed a partnership to integrate their applications, providing email campaign management services that integrate online profiles of visitors and customer behavior, B to B reports. The new, combined service will give marketers the ability to target email campaigns based on customer behavior, including browsing, abandonment, conversion, and purchase variables.

GM Sales of SUVs Plummet 50 Percent

Total U.S. auto sales dropped 7.9 percent in September compared to the same month last year, AdAge reports. SUVs suffered the greatest drop, with sales of General Motors’ SUVs tumbling 50 percent. GM’s overall vehicle sales fell 24 percent compared to last year; Ford Motor Company reported a 19 percent drop in total September sales for Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Jaguar, Volvo, and Land Rover.

Legislators: Satellite Better Have EAS, Too

FCC chairman Kevin Martin has received a letter from nearly two dozen legislators asking that satellite radio be required to have an effective Emergency Alert System (EAS), Broadcasting & Cable reports. The FCC has an open proceeding into proposed changes to the EAS and hopes to unveil new EAS proposals this month.

Burst: Internet First and Most-Used for Shopping Info

As the holiday shopping season approaches, a Burst Media survey reports (via MarketingVox) that three-quarters (76.6 percent) of respondents - web users age 18 and older - say they are also online shoppers; three out of five (62.8 percent) of such shoppers also say the internet is their primary source of information when evaluating and comparing products.

U.K. Mag to Put Faces to ‘Tarnished’ Arab Image

A new Middle Eastern magazine, printed in English, is launching in November in the U.K. with the hopes that it will offer readers an inside look at what Arab life is really like, demystify some of the often-held misconceptions and beliefs associated with Eastern cultures, and put real faces to the Arab image that has been “tarnished” in recent years. The magazine, Arabella, will focus on information, entertainment, and advice on social issues, beauty, fashion, and health.

T+L Golf Increases Frequency

American Express Publishing’s Travel + Leisure Golf will increase its frequency to seven issues next year from its current bimonthly schedule, Mediaweek reports. The magazine will split its September/October issue.

Dish Signs on for Nielsen TV Ratings

EchoStar Communications’ DISH Network satellite TV service has signed an agreement with Nielsen Media Research for national TV ratings service. DISH Network can now guarantee advertisers a specific number of viewers for their advertisements.

Sirius Signs Up 359,000 in Q3

Sirius Satellite Radio added over 359,000 subscribers in the third quarter, reflecting a 97 percent increase from a year ago. Sirius ended the quarter with over 2.17 million subscribers. Sirius expects to reach three million subscribers by the end of 2005.

As reported by Mediaweek (via Billboard Radio Monitor), the two satellite radio companies added nearly 1 million subscribers in the third quarter, on track to hit 9 million subscribers by the end of the year.

Wachovia Predicts 1% Growth, Despite August Gains

Despite August’s two percent revenue uptick, and similar growth that appears possible for September, Wachovia is standing by its previous estimate of a one percent gain in 2005 radio dollars, Radio Ink reports.

Despite claims that September showed similar activity to August, “waning consumer confidence and a weak holiday season are still expected,” said Wachovia’s Marci Ryvicker.