Eight of the 15 retailers watched by Chicago-based market research firm MarketTrack showed increases in private label promotions last week over a year ago, with Walmart making significant news along the way.

In a report done exclusively for PLBuyer’s eReport, Walmart showed a 141 percent gain in private label promotions from a year ago, while Publix was up 63 percent and Winn-Dixie had 36 percent more promotions than a year ago.

On the downside, Rite-Aid cut back dramatically with 71 percent fewer promotions than a year ago, while Target showed 31 percent fewer promotions.

Market Track’s analysis reflects regional versioning and market specific differences in circulars. This is accomplished through an extensive collections process, including physically obtaining the ads from the various markets in which they are distributed. In instances where retailers send additional circulars to a limited number of markets, Market Track’s information reflects these nuances to give a view of what is happening nationally.