The health of the world's economy continues to deteriorate as insufficient demand, unemployment and the ongoing debt crisis in Europe undermine recovery efforts, results of the ICC-Ifo World Economic Survey revealed.

Some 19 percent of consumers plan to spend more or substantially more (5 percent) on holiday gifts this year versus last year, according to the ICSC-Goldman Sachs 2012 Holiday Spending Intentions Survey. This is the highest percentage of consumers reporting they intend to increase spending over the previous holiday season since the International Council of Shopping Centers began asking the question in 2004.

Nearly 60 percent of retailers say delivering a consistent customer experience across all touch points is their number one priority this holiday season, according to survey results released by RedPrairie Corporation. And to help them meet this goal, 29 percent of retailers indicate they will hire more seasonal workers this year than last.

A ring of Canadian thieves who were caught with 30,700 stolen payment-card numbers is providing a view inside the process of tampering with PIN pads - and it's not pretty. On November 9, Toronto police said a five-man gang had tens of thousands of stolen card numbers on PCs and USB thumb-drives, along with at least a dozen stolen POS devices.

CargoSmart Limited, a software-as-a-service shipping and logistics solutions provider, has launched a monthly, complimentary e-newsletter designed to provide shippers, logistics service providers, and ocean carriers insight about cargo delays around the globe.

Global opposition has forced the European Union to conditionally freeze its emissions trading scheme for one year. EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said she is seeking to create "a positive atmosphere" for global talks concerning aircraft emissions management - an approach lauded by many in the aviation industry.

Smartphones may be among retailers' strongest allies this holiday season, according to Deloitte's annual holiday survey of consumer spending intentions and trends.

Josh Neblett, co-founder and chief executive of online retailer GreenCupboards, is busy planning how he'll get the word out about his "eco-friendly" products during the holidays, including e-mail campaigns, Facebook ads, and joint promotions with suppliers. One item not on his list: The daily deal coupons popular in 2011.

While a majority of start-up business owners do not believe the economy will grow in the next 12 months, 83 percent are nonetheless confident that their own profits will, according to the fourth-quarter Kauffman/LegalZoom Startup Confidence Index.