The books are closed for 2012, and from what we know so far, the year ended on a positive note. Consumers and retailers alike were ready and excited for the season, and it didn’t disappoint – with holiday sales expected to top $586 billion and digital retail breaking records right and left. Our friends at BIGinsight [...]
As retailers are gearing up for the biggest shopping weekend of the year and Americans are working on their holiday shopping lists, two things are top-of-mind: rebuilding in the wake of Superstorm Sandy and the looming fiscal cliff. In a recent interview on Bloombgerg TV, NRF’s Senior Vice President Ellen Davis discussed the impact of [...]
*Update – According to reports, the freight rail companies and labor unions reached a tentative agreement averting a potential strike.* If freight railroad companies and a handful of unions don’t agree on an extension to the “cooling off” period or reach agreement on a new deal by midnight December 6, the rail labor groups could [...]
As millions of shoppers hit stores early Black Friday morning, retailers rolled out their best sales and promotions to give consumers what they really wanted this year: value. And if the scores of people lined up outside stores were anything to go by, it certainly seems that the industry is on for another Black Friday bonanza this [...]
When I was eight years old, I was in Buffalo, New York with my family for Thanksgiving, and as we’d done for the 10 years before, we hit the stores bright and early Black Friday morning. As I tried to keep up with my mom and my aunt, I got distracted by a lady with a [...]
It’s (officially) the most wonderful time of the year! November 1 marks the beginning of the holiday season, when retailers everywhere strain to get a piece of that $466 billion in U.S. sales. After releasing our holiday sales forecast in early October and distributing our first consumer survey mid-month, we took a look at some [...]
According to our stats, it was “all holidays, all the time” throughout the month of November for retailers as NRF holiday resources hit yearly highs throughout the end of the month. However, another important event occurred on November 2 that piqued the attention of many retail industry executives: the 2010 midterm elections. Between focusing on [...]
As retailers strive to maintain the strong momentum that developed from last weekend’s holiday sales bonanza, loss prevention and security associates are also building on a successful (and mostly incident-free) weekend by staying on their toes for any loss prevention or crowd control issues that may develop through the holiday season. Crowd control continues to [...]
Hours before the clock struck midnight this Black Friday, millions of holiday shoppers lined up outside of stores across the country, eager to get their hands on hot holiday merchandise. Retail executives and NRF spokespeople were also up bright and early, sharing their insights into what Black Friday 2010 will bring and what it all means. NRF Chairman, [...]
What are you doing one week from today? If you’re like millions of Americans, your Thanksgiving Day traditions involve turkey, football, pumpkin pie…and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. (And if you’re like me, you’ll also spend a few hours of peace and quiet camped out on the couch before mentally preparing yourself for the craziness [...]