Marketing Tactics

New York City -- A survey released Tuesday by Deloitte, which polled 1,000 consumers, found that the majority – 51% – will shop in stores or online over the Thanksgiving weekend. Among them, 66% plan to shop in stores on Black Friday and 17% plan to shop in stores on Thanksgiving Day.

The survey also found that shoppers expect to spend an average of $224 over the holiday weekend.

WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. — Regional supermarket chain Tops Markets reported a 3.6% increase in net sales for the period ended Oct. 8.

Third-quarter net sales rose $18.7 million to $538.6 million, the retailer said. Supermarket sales (excluding gasoline sales) totaled $491 million, up $7.5 million, or 1.5%, compared with the year-ago period.

New York City -- A new retail concept, Wonder!, has opened it first location in Deerfield, Ill. The 135,000-sq.-ft. space is intended as a one-stop shopping solution, focused on children ages birth to seven years. It combines a broad selection of product (including baby gear, furniture, bedding, apparel, and toys) with an array of experiential elements.

New York City -- The third annual Retail Finance Outlook released Tuesday by CIT Group found that 80% of retail executives expect their holiday sales to increase or remain the same as last year. And they are eying social media as a means to drive sales.

Among the notable shopping days this holiday season, more than one-third of executives expect Black Friday sales to increase this year; more than a quarter expect Cyber Monday sales to be up and nearly a quarter expect Super Saturday sales to increase.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Photo enthusiasts that shop at Walgreens now can enjoy same-day pickup for many of its photo gifts at more than 3,000 stores nationwide.

Walgreens customers can create their gifts by utilizing Walgreens touchscreen photo kiosks in stores (or from home at Walgreens.com/photo) and pick them up within the same day at their local store. The drug store chain said its new photo technology and printing systems produce high-resolution, color-rich prints that allow photo technicians to produce some photo gifts in as little as an hour.

Menomonee Falls, Wis. -- Kohl’s Corp. was recognized with its third Green Power Partner of the Year Award by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Center for Resource Solutions. The chain is the first retailer to be named Partner of the Year for three consecutive years.

New York City -- Nielsen’s annual Black Friday Shopping Survey, released Tuesday, found that 80% of consumers don’t plan to shop on Black Friday. Of those that do, 71% will head to department stores, 52% to electronics stores, 51% to mass merchandisers and discounters, 40% will shop online, 27% will visit toy stores and 23% will shop warehouse clubs.

The holiday season is about to get underway with what is expected to be the single greatest spending orgy in the history of commerce with more than $20 billion spent on Black Friday compared with $19.3 billion last year, according to MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse.