Retailers are selling about 21 percent fewer items at full price this year compared to 2014, according to findings in DynamicAction's Holiday Retail Index.
A new online service called PriceLocal aims to level the playing field and let local retailers price-match items and provide same day availability. PriceLocal was developed by a former Borders executive, Matt Chosid, as a way for smaller merchants to compete.
Millennials may be digital natives, but for all their supposed reliance on mobile devices, this group is more likely to shop on Thanksgiving Day and do so in stores, according to a new survey by location-based mobile platform Retale.
Blacks spend less money in black-owned businesses than other racial and ethnic groups spend in businesses owned by members of their groups, including Hispanics and Asians.
Anyone looking for more proof that holiday shopping begins earlier has some new statistics to cite: 56.6 percent of those celebrating the holidays had begun shopping by early November, up from 54.4 percent last year and up further from the 49 percent who had started by this time in 2008, the first time the National Retail Federation asked the question.
Analysis of 2013 and 2014 holiday sales data on 300,000 products indicated more sophisticated retail product management, higher quality merchandise offered at discounted prices, and promotions extended after the holiday season, suggesting a promotion trend retailers are likely to apply for the 2015 holidays and beyond.
Home delivery is shaping up to be the sticky widget in retailers' toolboxes this holiday season - and one that could affect customer loyalty for a long time to come - as half of all consumers won't give merchants a second chance following a disappointing online experience.
Consumers expect to hear knocks on their door from delivery services well into the holiday week and for no cost at all, according to Deloitte's 30th annual holiday survey of consumer spending intentions and trends. In fact, free shipping is the top priority for shoppers when it comes to retail policies, with 72 percent of responding consumers planning to take full advantage of the perk. Nearly 9 in 10 shoppers (87 percent) prioritized free shipping over fast shipping (13 percent) when purchasing gifts shopping online.
