Winter Holidays

It’s almost September, which can only mean one thing: The annual blizzard of holiday sales forecasts is about to begin, and this year eMarketer is one of the first out of the gate.

Irving, Texas – The Michaels Companies Inc. is partnering with trend-driven online DIY marketplace Darby Smart in September to bring select Michaels products to Darby Smart. The partnership will also bring Darby Smart products and community members to Michaels.

Minneapolis – Target Corp. exceeded Wall Street projections with net earnings of $753 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2015, a 221% increase from $234 million the same period the prior fiscal year. Declining selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses and loss from discontinued operations helped boost profits as sales climbed.

Target reported net sales of $17.4 billion, up 2.8% over the same period last year.

Jericho, N.Y. - Online shoppers in the U.S. and Canada are willing to sacrifice delivery speed for a lower shipping cost. According to a survey of U.S. and Canadian shoppers conducted by Purolator International, the cost of shipping was identified most often as the single most important concern in terms of the delivery of their purchases.

Grapevine, Texas – Like many other retailers, GameStop Corp. employs seasonal hires for the holiday season. Unlike many other retailers, GameStop focuses on skill growth and professional success for its 17,000-23,000 annual seasonal hires.

A new study seems to support the theory that holiday shopping is often starting earlier than commonly thought, especially online.

Phoenix – Holiday shopping often starts earlier than commonly thought and also frequently being online. According to a new survey of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers from G/O Digital, 62% of respondents go straight to search engines when researching gifts for the holiday season and more than three-quarters look online for holiday shopping deals and discounts.

Kohl’s has joined other major retailers this week reporting disappointing earnings and anemic same store sales growth.

The Wisconsin-based retailer posted a profit of $130 million in the second quarter ended Aug. 1, below the $232 million in the prior-year quarter. Earnings per share were 66 cents, compared with $1.13 in the second quarter of 2014. Same store sales grew a measly 0.1%. Overall revenue increased by just 0.6%, to $4.27 billion for the quarter.