Research Topic

Reston, Va. - Cyber Monday reached $2.04 billion in desktop online spending, up 17% from a year ago and representing the heaviest online spending day in history and the only day ever to surpass $2 billion in sales. According to data from comScore, the weekend after Thanksgiving also reached a major milestone as it saw its first ever billion-dollar online shopping day on Saturday, while Sunday’s sales just fell short of the $1 billion mark.

Boston - A new study shows just how diluted Black Friday has become to holiday shoppers: Twenty-eight percent of shoppers shopped in stores Nov. 22/Nov. 23 and 34% of shoppers chose to shop in stores the weekend after Black Friday (Nov. 29/Nov. 30), while 25% shopped on Black Friday, according to Kantar Retail.

In other results, 65%  of shoppers surveyed chose not to shop because of crowds while 42% stayed out of stores to avoid traffic.

San Jose, Calif. –  Brick-and-mortar sales and traffic patterns during the five-day Thanksgiving weekend may have benefited customers who hate crowds, but were not good news for retailers. According to data from in-store analytics provider RetailNext, sales during the period fell 10.7% compared to the same five days in 2013, while traffic dropped 12.4%.

The dynamics of Thanksgiving weekend retail activity continue to evolve, but Cyber Monday still rules with sales that topped $2 billion for the first time ever this year.

ARLINGTON, Va. - More than half (58%) of shoppers who use mobile devices say they prefer to look up information on their devices while shopping, rather than talk to store employees – especially among men and shoppers aged 25-44 - according to a new by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). Additionally, 62%  of mobile shoppers indicate they perceive the information they gather via their mobile device as more beneficial than the information available in-store via product displays or sales literature.

Miami – Google Glass has some competition on its hands. Luxottica Group S.pA. is launching a multiyear R&D collaboration with Intel Corp. to create eyewear infused with smart technology.

The ultimate goal is to deliver smart, fashion-forward products that are meaningful and desirable to consumers. The first product from Intel and Luxottica is expected to launch in 2015.

Cincinnati – Ever wonder what to do with all those unused loyalty points you probably have floating around? According to a survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers by loyalty intelligence provider Colloquy, six out of 10 shoppers intend to use points they’ve earned through customer-loyalty programs to save money on holiday gift-buying this year.

That represents a 22% increase in the number of shoppers who are planning to cash in reward points on gift purchases, compared to the 2013 holiday season.