 | November 29, 2010 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
- Retailers see strong Thanksgiving weekend sales
One-third of holiday shoppers over the Thanksgiving weekend made their purchases online, the highest number ever, according to the National Retail Federation. Early estimates suggest weekend sales were 8.7% above last year. However, Black Friday is not always a perfect predictor of holiday sales, said the National Retail Federation's Ellen Davis. "It's important to keep the economy in mind here. Sometimes Black Friday is not an indicator of the holiday season, because people are so focused on deals that they'll get themselves up early." The New York Times (free registration) (11/28) , The Wall Street Journal (11/29) , NPR.org/The Associated Press (11/28)       - Gadgets follow apparel as most popular weekend purchases: More than half of the weekend's shoppers bought at least one consumer electronics product, making gadgets the second-most popular category, according to figures from an industry group. Portable MP3 players, video game consoles, and notebook and tablet computers were among the most popular items purchased. The Hill/Hillicon Valley blog (11/28)
- Online sales soar on Black Friday: Online retailers saw Black Friday sales increase almost 16% over last year, according to data. Consumers bought more items online than they did last year, and prepared using merchants' early advertising to create lists that allowed them to quickly find and purchase the products they sought. InternetRetailer.com (11/27)
- Nordstrom makes its first foray into the bridal business
Nordstrom opened an in-store bridal salon at its store on Chicago's North Michigan Avenue last week, marking the 109-year-old retailer's first foray into the bridal business. The Seattle-based chain plans to open 13 additional shops in U.S. stores during the next six weeks, aiming to become a one-stop wedding shop for a new generation of cost-conscious brides. Chicago Tribune (11/24) - Nordstrom takes the holidays one at a time: Nordstrom paces itself when it comes to its holiday decorations, despite the whirlwind of holly, tinsel and giant red ribbons going up in the malls around it. The upscale department store chain's locations boast Thanksgiving decorations only until Black Friday, when it finally dresses up for Christmas. Los Angeles Times (11/28)
- Target's countdown to Black Friday
A Wall Street Journal report went behind the scenes at Target's hometown store, documenting the "controlled chaos" that went on hours before the 4 a.m. Black Friday opening. The tale includes moments of worry when it appears turnout may be lighter than expected and later when the store's power goes out for several minutes. The Wall Street Journal (11/27)  | Durable Data Security: Tokenization vs E2EE. How can you stop chasing the moving target of PCI compliance and secure your cardholder data once and for all? This new 14-page White Paper from Retail TouchPoints compares the pros and cons of today's two leading approaches, to help you decide which one will work best in your retail organization. Download your copy now! | - Merchants get a head start on Cyber Monday
More merchants have been launching holiday-season deals early, including on what some called "Cyber Sunday." E-commerce sites including BestBuy.com and Walmart.com started promoting online deals in advance, and more merchants have been freshening their online offers more often in the hopes of attracting shoppers early and often. MSNBC/Reuters/The Associated Press (11/28) - Retailers sweeten loyalty offers to entice repeat customers
Merchants are making their customer-loyalty programs more attractive to encourage repeat business among deal-hungry consumers. Chains including Target and Toys R Us offer discounts on in-store purchases, and Sears and Kmart have beefed up their Shop Your Way rewards program by offering more loyalty points on specific brands. The Sun (Baltimore) (11/25) - Small merchants attract shoppers with a personal touch
Small merchants outside of busy malls pin their success on creating a personality that caters to locals and sets them apart from their large chain competitors. At Red Barn Mercantile in Alexandria, Va., that means offering free workshops for the holidays; at Books on the Common in Ridgefield, Conn., proprietors promised to donate 15% of each sale to the local library, when shoppers showed their cards. The Washington Post (11/29) , The Wall Street Journal (11/29)  | New Retail 2.0 eBook: Private Sales Innovations
Are competitors employing retail concepts like Private Sales, to improve customer loyalty and generate rapid revenue growth? Learn how you can transform your business for today's multi-channel buyers with a FREE eBook, "Retail 2.0: Private Sales." Don't hesitate. Innovate. Download Your eBook Now | - PayPal reports soaring Black Friday transactions
Mobile shopping increased 310% and online payment volume rose 27% on Black Friday, compared with last year, PayPal reported. "The tough economy has made shoppers more price-conscious, and this year's Black Friday results show that they're going online to find the best deals," said PayPal Senior Director Amanda Pires. Yahoo!/PC Magazine (11/27)  | Understand your customers by knowing how they shop
Would you like to increase transaction sizes, make your promotions more effective, and delight your customers? Learn how, right now, by reading our free thought leadership article Market Basket Analytics: Ready for Prime Time. | | Hot Topics |  | | | Top five news stories selected by NRF SmartBrief readers in the past week. - Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.
| Policy & Government Affairs | |  | | |  | - Los Angeles County ban on plastic bags only affects grocers
Grocers in unincorporated Los Angeles County are upset that they are the only group affected by a recently passed ban on plastic bags and a mandate to charge 10 cents per paper bag. The move was designed as an eco-friendly shift to encourage more shoppers to bring reusable bags, but it doesn't apply to big-box stores or other retail outlets. The law, set to take effect next summer at larger stores and in 2012 at smaller merchants, will likely face court challenges first. San Jose Mercury News (Calif.) (free registration) (11/27)  | Adobe Mobile Experience Survey: What Users Want from Media, Finance, Travel & Shopping. With more than 4.5 billion cell phone subscribers worldwide, it's no wonder businesses are betting big on mobile. Get a first-of-its-kind, bird's eye view of what consumers are doing on their mobile devices and what most engages them across 4 key industries. Download the whitepaper. | | | | Most Popular Headlines from Last Week Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers. |
| NRF News | | | | - Black Friday weekend sees bigger crowds, increase in spending
More shoppers visited stores and websites over Black Friday weekend this year compared to last, spending to the tune of $45 billion. Discretionary gifts such as jewelry and gift cards saw increases, as did department store and clothing store traffic. "As retailers look ahead to the first few weeks of December, it will be important for them to keep momentum going with savings and incentives that holiday shoppers simply can't pass up," said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. Read more. - NRF SmartStat: Nov. 29, 2010
 Pure plays take five of the 10 finalist slots on the NRF Foundation Customers' choice survey. Source: NRF Foundation - More than 106 million Americans to shop on Cyber Monday
A record number of shoppers will visit websites on Cyber Monday this year, according to a new Shop.org survey. While most will shop from home, the number of people who will use their smartphone for Cyber Monday shopping will double. "Hundreds of retailers have already announced special Cyber Monday promotions ranging from free shipping offers to flash sales," said Joan Broughton, Interim Executive Director of Shop.org. "When it comes to Cyber Monday deals, shoppers know they can't lose this year." Read more.
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