Winter Holidays

With (believe it or not) the holiday season almost upon us, it is time once again to take part in the annual ritual of crystal ball gazing and seasonal sales forecasts.

FedEx says a big boost in online shopping will propel its business between Black Friday and Christmas Eve at least 12.4% above 2014 levels.

FedEx expects the holiday period to include three shipment volume spikes: Cyber Monday and the first two Mondays in December.

The company said it was adding 55,000 employees for the holidays to handle the increased demand.

Headquarters layoffs are spreading throughout the retail industry with J.C. Penney joining Walmart and Dollar General in making deep cuts to its non-store workforce.

The department store retailer on Thursday said it planned to cut 300 of its 3,400 home office positions to reduce expenses and achieve financial targets.

In what promises to be the most omnichannel Christmas ever, Kohl’s contends it will offer shoppers a seamless experience that is faster and more convenient that ever.

Product and pricing data provider 360pi is out with its take on what retailers and brands can expect this holiday season.

According to 360pi, retailers that offer real-time data, regionalized pricing and exclusive products will shine during the 2015 holiday shopping season. The firm puts more meat on the bone with its six holiday predictions, including:

Consumers’ intentions often differ materially from their behavior and retailers better hope that is the case this year or it won’t be a happy holiday, according to the latest consumer research from the National Retail Federation.