Inside these posts: Holiday shopping

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Jan. 10 at 3:00 p.m.
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Filed under: Retail

Holiday sales rise 4%, first uptick in two years

By Sandra M. Jones

Retail sales rose a solid 4 percent for the 2010 holiday shopping season, marking the first uptick in two years, according to a report released Monday from ShopperTrak.

The sales gain for the combined months of November and December 2010, compared to the same period in 2009, occurred even as customer traffic remained flat, the firm said. The results suggest that consumers are making fewer visits to malls and individual stores, but spending more once they get there, said Bill Martin, co-founder of the Chicago-based customer research firm.

While overall shopping levels haven’t returned to a pre-recession pace, the 2010 holiday season “should be seen as a relatively encouraging sign for retailers heading into 2011,” Martin said. Get the full story »

Jan. 6 at 10:11 a.m.
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Filed under: Retail

Shoppers won’t lose energy in 2011, economists say

By Associated Press

Shoppers’ holiday-season splurge was likely a preview of what’s to come in 2011, and economists say it should embolden companies to expand and hire.

Americans spent more in the 50 days before Christmas than analysts had expected — the sharpest annual increase since 2006. It’s the surest sign yet they’re becoming less frugal as the economy rebounds.

Dec. 29, 2010 at 11:15 a.m.
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Filed under: Retail

Dec. 26 storms delay $1 billion in retail spending

By Associated Press

The blizzard that swept through the Northeast on Sunday and Monday delayed $1 billion in retail spending, according to research firm ShopperTrak, but won’t derail a holiday shopping season expected to be the best since 2007. Get the full story »

Dec. 28, 2010 at 6:53 a.m.
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Last-minute shopping cited in same-store sales gains

By Dow Jones Newswires

The International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs Retail Chain Store Sales Index rose 1 percent in the week ended Saturday from the week before on a seasonally adjusted, comparable-store basis. Get the full story »

Dec. 20, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.
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Filed under: Retail

Online holiday spending rises 12%

By Reuters

U.S. online sales are up 12 percent to $27.5 billion so far this holiday shopping season compared with a year ago, according to research firm comScore. Get the full story »

Dec. 9, 2010 at 11:44 a.m.
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Filed under: Consumer news, Retail

Consumers offered tips for safe online shopping

By Gregory Karp

The Consumer Federation of America on Thursday offered advice for online shoppers to keep their wallets and identities safe this holiday season.

“Unfortunately, there are scam artists and some less-than-honest retailers that take advantage of unwary buyers,” Susan Grant, CFA director of consumer protection, said during a news conference Thursday morning. Get the full story »

Dec. 8, 2010 at 11:23 a.m.
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Filed under: Retail

ComScore: Online holiday sales hit $17.5 billion

By Reuters

U.S. online holiday sales are up 12 percent to more than $17.5 billion till date this year, with more than half of that making use of free shipping, according to research firm comScore Inc. Get the full story »

Dec. 1, 2010 at 8:40 a.m.
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Filed under: Internet, Retail

Cyber Monday sales top $1B for first time

By Associated Press

Americans jumped on deals and promotions offered online on Cyber Monday, spending $1 billion and making it the busiest online shopping day ever, according to new data. Get the full story »

Nov. 29, 2010 at 1:33 p.m.
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Filed under: Retail

Cyber Monday shopping ramps up

By CNN

Online shoppers turned out in force on Cyber Monday — the day after a strong holiday shopping weekend — with a retail group predicting a 10 percent increase over last year.

Merchant Web sites drew 1,333,336 global page visits per minute during the noon ET hour, according to e-commerce tracking company Akamai. While that was a solid number, it was actually a little below the noontime peak of 1,337,601 page visits per minute globally three days earlier, on Black Friday, which is supposed to be the big day for traditional stores.
Get the full story »

Nov. 29, 2010 at 10:59 a.m.
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Filed under: Internet, Retail

Retailers are counting on Cyber Monday

By Reuters

A worker at online retailer Zappos. (Isaac Brekken/Los Angeles Times)

U.S. retailers who saw strong online sales as the holiday selling season kicked off over the weekend aim to cash in further on that momentum with Cyber Monday, one of the biggest days for Web commerce.

The term Cyber Monday was coined five years ago for the day many people return to work after U.S. Thanksgiving Day and make online gift purchases on their computers.

More recently, retailers have been increasingly offering online deals on Thanksgiving itself and through the holiday weekend, as consumers regularly shop on the Internet. Get the full story »

Nov. 22, 2010 at 8:26 a.m.
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Filed under: Retail

Wal-Mart to offer price matching on ‘Black Friday’

By Reuters

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said it will match rivals’ prices on “Black Friday,” upping the ante in the battle to win sales on what is considered to be the kick-off to the U.S. holiday shopping season and a gauge of how overall holiday retail sales will shape up. Get the full story »

Nov. 18, 2010 at 1:02 p.m.
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ShopperTrak ups forecast for holiday sales, traffic

By Sandra M. Jones

A flood of early promotions and longer store hours have spurred a key retail group to raise its forecast for holiday sales.

ShopperTrak predicts sales for the November-December holiday period will increase 3.2 percent from last year, a bigger gain than the 2.9 percent the Chicago-based market research group initially anticipated. Foot traffic is forecast to rise 1 percent for the period, instead of the originally forecast 0.1 percent decline. Get the full story »

Nov. 18, 2010 at 8:45 a.m.
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60 million shoppers expected on Black Friday

By Reuters

As many as 138 million U.S. shoppers could be hunting for Black Friday bargains during the three days after Thanksgiving, a slight increase over last year’s projections, according to a retail trade group survey released Thursday.

Nearly 60 million Americans plan to hit the stores, more than last year’s forecast of 57 million, while an additional 78 million might join the crowds of shoppers this year if the bargains are good enough, the National Retail Federation said. Get the full story »

Nov. 16, 2010 at 2:26 p.m.
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Filed under: Retail

Black Friday forecast: Cool, clear … and green

By Reuters

Macy's CEO Terry J. Lundgren, in the Holiday Lane section of Macy's department store in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

Cooler weather and clear skies should help boost U.S. sales on Black Friday, the post-Thanksgiving kickoff to the holiday shopping season, a consulting firm said Tuesday.

An expected cold snap will spur consumers to buy more sweaters, scarves and boots, according to Planalytics Inc., a consulting firm that provides research for companies such as Kohls Corp. and Rite Aid Corp. Get the full story »

Nov. 16, 2010 at 10:44 a.m.
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Filed under: Retail, Stock activity

Wal-Mart sees U.S. same-store sales up for holidays

By Reuters

A Wal-Mart employee stocks the shelves in Pompano Beach, Fla. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Wal-Mart Stores expects U.S. same-store sales to rise during the holiday shopping season, when it hopes to lure its low- to middle-income customers with discounts on toys and electronics and free shipping for online orders.

The world’s largest retailer also posted higher quarterly profit Tuesday, buoyed by cost cuts and growth in international sales, and raised its full-year forecast. Get the full story »

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