| News for the retail industry | December 7, 2011 |  | |
| Retailer Holiday Watch |  |  | | - Why Best Buy stood out on Thanksgiving weekend
Best Buy was the most-shopped specialty chain during the Thanksgiving weekend, and the fourth busiest retailer overall, behind general merchandise retailers Wal-Mart, Target and Amazon, according to analysts at NPD Group. Best Buy also booked the best conversion rate, with 58% of shoppers making a purchase during the weekend, up from 38% last year. TWICE (12/5)      - Bobcat Goldthwait gives voice to Wal-Mart's fruitcake
Wal-Mart has created a series of videos featuring Frank the Fruitcake, a holiday baked good that is voiced by comedian Bobcat Goldthwait. Facebook users who post the videos to their walls get a running commentary from Frank, who is meant to be annoyingly charming and represent a gift nobody wants. Mashable (12/1)
| Seasonal Trends | | | | - How to use holiday window displays to entice customers
How stores deck out their windows for the holidays can have a direct effect on whether shoppers come into the store, according to a study from EyeTrackShop. The webcam eye-tracking company found that jumping horses in the windows at Bergdorf Goodman kept viewers' interest longer than a purse display. Gap windows that included price tags on $25 sweaters also served to set it apart from other stores. USA TODAY (12/4) - Retailers keep an eye on post-Black Friday traffic
Retailers are cautious as the record crowds of Thanksgiving weekend ebb. Merchants are still expecting a good holiday selling season as many consumers shift into gift-shopping mode after snapping up deals for themselves, but many consumers are expected to wait until the last minute in the hopes of finding another round of deep discounts just before Christmas. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (12/6) - Consumers spend big to deck the halls this season
Consumers may be concerned about their employment and financial prospects, but they're not stinting when it comes to spending on lights, tinsel and inflatable Santas this year. U.S. consumers will spend $6 billion on holiday decorations this year, more than they've spent in at least seven years, according to NRF data. Bloomberg Businessweek (12/6) - Consumers to boost spending on gift cards
About 80% of consumers will buy at least one gift card this holiday season, and gift-card sales are forecast to hit $28 billion, up from $24.8 billion, according to NRF data. Convenience is a key driver, with gift cards increasingly available in more stores and online outlets. "If gift cards were the lazy man's choice five or six years ago, [now] they are the extreme lazy man's choice," said NRF spokeswoman Kathy Grannis. Orlando Sentinel (Fla.) (12/4) | Research and Releases | | | | - How to boost holiday sales with data you already have
Before shipping deadlines hit in a few weeks, historical patterns show that the next two Mondays may be significant sales days. Shop.org Head of Research Fiona Swerdlow says, "Retailers are sitting on a gold mine of sales data garnered over Black Friday weekend and Cyber Monday, which they should now use to make the most of the next few weeks." In a recent post on the Shop.org blog, Swerdlow shares 3 tactics to use now to boost sales between now and Dec. 24 with existing data. Read more. - NRF SVP brings his iPhone -- and a CBS reporter -- on a shopping trip
From Brookstone to Godiva, retail companies know mobile is the way of the future. NRF Senior Vice President Mike Gatti and CBS reporter Lesli Foster shopped together in Pentagon City Mall to test the theory that mobile commerce tactics played a major role in this year's holiday marketing strategy. In a recent TV segment, Mike and Lesli maneuver their way through myriad QR codes, e-gift cards and coupons. Watch the video. Retail's BIG Blog (12/5) | | | 
Product announcements appearing in SmartBrief are paid advertisements and do not reflect actual NRF endorsements. The news reported in SmartBrief does not necessarily reflect the official position of NRF. | This SmartBrief was created for cpgbrokers.data@blogger.com
| | | | | | | | | Recent NRF SmartBrief Issues: - Tuesday, December 06, 2011
- Monday, December 05, 2011
- Friday, December 02, 2011
- Thursday, December 01, 2011
- Wednesday, November 30, 2011
| | | Lead Editor: Megan Conniff
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