Several major U.S. retailers posted disappointing sales for November after shoppers remained cautious about spending, the latest sign that the holiday season is shaping up to be the toughest in years. Some companies that reported sales gains had to offer more bargains to attract shoppers. The need to keep discounting, which stems from sagging consumer […] Continue reading →
With a flick of the switch, a 76-foot Norway Spruce officially became the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree after it was illuminated for the first time this holiday season in a ceremony that’s been held since 1933. Mayor Michael Bloomberg turned on the lights just before 9 p.m. Wednesday, setting off a dazzling 45,000 multi-colored LED […] Continue reading →
Get Your Christmas Shopping Done on Your Mobile Device This Year More people are taking their online shopping to their mobile devices, and for this year’s holiday season, retailers are preparing for the surge in traffic expected to come from more tablets and smartphones in addition to regular laptops and desktop computers. As more people […] Continue reading →
U.S. shoppers visited more stores and spent more money at brick-and-mortar sites across Thanksgiving Day and “Black Friday” than they did in 2012 while online sales set records, data showed on Saturday. When compared with Thanksgiving on Thursday and “Black Friday” last year, research firm ShopperTrak estimated that traffic at brick-and-mortar stores increased 2.8 percent, […] Continue reading →
by Len Munsil, During the holiday season, I feel some sympathy for those who try to write religious faith out of our nation’s history. Suddenly everyone is talking about giving thanks to God, and even public institutions have to acknowledge the obvious. As a legendary liberal Supreme Court Justice, William O. Douglas, put it: “We […] Continue reading →
Researchers say consumers will spend in record numbers this holiday season. When the retail dust settles after Black Friday, the smart shoppers — or at least the ones who don’t have the patience to stand in lines for hours — will settle in their home or office chairs after the weekend and start looking for […] Continue reading →
“We’re tempering our expectations a bit thanks to discretionary spending being squeezed and six fewer shopping days this season.” This statement, issued by comScore on November 21, may give online retailers cause for concern, but it doesn’t paint a full picture of what the industry can expect for the holidays. Despite modest expectations for the […] Continue reading →
A July USA Today article titled “Churches boost security as violent incidents grow” reported that “the number of deadly episodes at sanctuaries has soared over the last decade, and mass shootings at schools, malls and movie theaters have left Americans feeling like it could happen anywhere.” As I noted last week, there were roughly only […] Continue reading →
A July USA Today article titled “Churches boost security as violent incidents grow” reported that “the number of deadly episodes at sanctuaries has soared over the last decade, and mass shootings at schools, malls and movie theaters have left Americans feeling like it could happen anywhere.” As I noted last week, there were roughly only […] Continue reading →
We’ve been hearing a whole lot from labor unions and progressive groups that Walmart is unfair to its workers and that the minimum wage must be increased, but the company’s new plans to promote 125,000 employees for the holiday season are debunking the narrative. According to Vice President of Walmart Communications David Tovar, the company […] Continue reading →
Target plans to hire about 70,000 seasonal workers for the holiday shopping season, down about 20 percent from a year ago. The discounter is aiming to be more efficient in its hiring practices. The move to hire 18,000 fewer temporary holiday workers versus last year’s 88,000 comes as the Minneapolis-based chain saw that its own […] Continue reading →