Coupons/ Rebates/ Pricing

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Sears and Kmart stores joined the growing list of national retailers whose stores will open on Thanksgiving Day.

Kmart, which has opened Thanksgiving Day for 22 years, this year will be open for 41 straight hours, starting at 6 a.m. Thanksgiving Day to 11 p.m. Black Friday.  Sears will open at 8 p.m. Thanksgiving Day.

Newegg, a leading electronics-focused e-retailer in the U.S., has kicked off this year’s Black November shopping event. The online retailer first unveiled Black November in 2010.

The company will be offering exclusive deals on the first four days of Black November across 60 categories, including computers, electronics, automotive, sporting goods and jewelry.

Mountain View, Calif. – Millennial consumers age 18-34 are most likely to use online and mobile technology in their holiday shopping this year. According to a new survey from the Google 2013 Holiday Intentions Shopping Study, 95% of Millennials but only 87% of consumers age 35 and older plan to use the Internet as a tool for holiday shopping.

New York -- Moms with young kids, defined as children under the age of five, are often more active on social media, more likely to shop using mobile devices and more open to engage with brands across digital touchpoints than other segments of moms and consumers at large. A new analysis from Experian Marketing Services shows that moms with young kids are 62% more likely than the general population to use their mobile phones to look for local coupons while shopping.

Wayne, N.J. -- Toys “R” Us is expanding its point-based Rewards “R” Us loyalty program as it gears up for one of the most competitive holiday seasons in years. The added incentives include a first-ever, private pre-Black Friday incentive.

Beloit, Wis. – FatWallet.com is launching its 2013 annual Black Friday Deal Finder online tool and mobile app. The Deal Finder is already featuring multiple Thanksgiving and Black Friday ads from top stores, including Macy's, Radio Shack, Lowe's and Target.

New and improved features to this year's Black Friday Deal Finder include:

New York -- Nearly 90% of Americans repeatedly buy products retailers have on promotion, according to a new survey by Syngera, a global technology startup that uses big data to bring personalized digital experiences to the physical retail store.  In the survey, 85% of respondents said they would return to brick-and-mortar stores when alerted to upcoming sales of previously purchased items.

By James McCandless and Kenneth Katz,  X Team International

The recent government shutdown has analysts scrambling to determine how much damage was done to the national economy. From a retail perspective, understanding the scale and scope of the shutdown requires a more thorough understanding of the issues at play; including a closer look at how retailers responded and a breakdown of how the lingering effects of the partial government closure may impact the holiday sales season.

The ripple effect on retail