Consumer Attitudes & Behavior

New York City -- Online spending should increase by 11% this holiday shopping season, according to date collected by comScore. Already, consumers have spent $9 billion online in the first 21 days of November, a 13% increase versus the corresponding days last year.

ComScore is forecasting that online spending from the November to December period will reach $32.4 billion, representing an 11% gain versus a year ago.

New York City -- A majority (88%) of consumers have gifts and presents still to purchase, and 79% are undecided about exactly what gifts to buy this year, according to the Holiday Shopping Index, an annual survey by StrategyOne, a Daniel J. Edelman strategic research and measurement consultancy firm.

Santa Clara, Calif. -- A study of some of the country’s largest retailers’ return policies has found significant failings, according to CrossView, a premier provider of cross-channel commerce solutions.
 

New York City -- Confidence among U.S. consumers increased more than forecast in November to the highest level in five months. The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan final index of consumer sentiment rose to 71.6 during the month, from 67.7 in October. Economists had projected a reading of 69.5.

The report came as retailers prepared for the Black Friday shopping onslaught, the official start of the holiday shopping season.

Memphis -- Fred's said Tuesday that its third-quarter net income surged 56%, partly because of its improved merchandise mix and remodeled and upgraded stores.

The discounter’s net iFred's said Tuesday that its third-quarter net income surged 56%, partly because of its improved merchandise mix and remodeled and upgraded stores.ncome rose to $7.8 million for the period ended Oct. 30, compared with $5 million in the year ago period. The performance topped analysts’ estimates.