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While many retailers still struggle with how to leverage the Black Friday sales frenzy, REI has other plans in mind.   For the second year, REI will remain closed on both Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year. “Instead of feeding the Black Friday frenzy, we're closing our 149 stores and giving our 12,287 employees a paid day off,” REI’s website reported.   

Who hasn’t wanted to buy “looks” featured on their favorite television show? Now, it’s a reality.   A new TV talk show series, created through a partnership between Wayfair and A+E Networks, will allow viewers to purchase all featured items on Wayfair.com.   The show, called The Way Home, uses a combination of home décor and DIY how-to’s, room makeovers and everyday solutions for better living — and everything displayed is for sale.  

As the holiday shopping season “unofficially” gets underway, millennials are expected to lead the charge.   This early movement is also putting the season on pace to have the highest e-commerce sales revenue yet, according to the “2016 Holiday Initiative Summary Report,” from Criteo. The study reveals consumer holiday shopping behaviors, the role and impact of digital advertising, and e-commerce trends that retailers are urged to leverage in the upcoming months.   

With 46% of shoppers ready to start holiday shopping online and in-store in early November, retailers need to be ready.   As shoppers begin holiday shopping next month, make no mistake, mobility will be a mainstay this season, according to “Unwrapping Holiday Insights: The 2016 Retailer Guide to Consumer Trends,” a report from RetailMeNot.  

UGG is driving a new level of engagement with loyal shoppers.   Starting today, shoppers nationwide are invited to join UGG Rewards, a loyalty program that awards shoppers with points for every purchase. The program, which was launched as a pilot among a limited customer base between September 2015 and June 2016, is now available to shoppers in-store and online throughout the United States.  

Interactive media continues to shake up retailers’ digital marketing strategies.  

Visa and Oracle are partnering to provide merchants with new insights regarding their digital ads.   Visa has introducted Visa Advertising Solutions, a new suite of products available to retailers through the Oracle Data Cloud. It is designed to help merchants understand whether their digital advertising efforts are influencing consumer purchase decisions online and in stores.  

It's hard to find a brand more excited about the first day of fall than UGG.   Ready to kick off its favorite season in style, UGG is launching a custom, fall-themed Snapchat lens. The lens, which will be available until midnight tonight, is part of the company’s digital campaign, #UGGseason. UGG fans can log onto Twitter and post their favorite looks, memes and comments, including those created through Snapchat.  

Macy's is revving up its beauty offerings with at-home beauty and treatment services.   The department store retailer is partnering with beGlammed, an on-demand beauty service that delivers hair and makeup to the customer’s front door. The deal will utilize beGlammed’s network of more than 1,200 stylists in 22 U.S. markets. Customers will be able to book a variety of beGlammed services, from a touch-up to bridal makeup, on macys.com/beglammed.com.  Prices will range from $25.00 to $185.00.