The easiest way to turn the press into your publicity bureau is by having an event. Having any kind of event makes you automatically newsworthy. So a good trick for you as the publicist is to phrase your activity as an event. Yes, the same techniques apply to other promotable activities, but so many more doors are opened by linking your publicity agenda to some kind of event that I'd encourage you to do them whenever possible. Of course, it's not necessary to have a sale as part of your event.
Many wonderful events can happen without a sale.
But if you want a sale, you can get a lot more publicity if you focus on the event. This is not coincidence. It is always easier for a business to get free publicity if it's also promoting a cause. The donation can be small or large, but it must be genuine and heartfelt. For every hundred thousand dollars or so in register receipts, the school got a new computer.