Winter Holidays

Macy’s is committed to giving back this winter through its “Buy 1 & We’ll Give 1” effort. Through October 26, Macy’s will donate one coat, up to 50,000 coats, to Clothe4Souls for every coat purchased in the men’s, women’s, juniors’ and children’s departments in Macy’s stores and on macys.com.

The joy of giving will also be a joy of saving, as Macy’s will offer 30-50% discount on a large selection of men’s, women’s and children’s coats during the campaign.

Austin, Texas -- Almost half of Americans are likely to avoid shopping at stores that were affected by data breaches in the past year. According to a new CreditCards.com report, 45% of major credit and debit card holders say they would “definitely” or “probably not” shop at a retailer where consumers’ personal information (including credit and debit card data) was exposed.   

Hallmar has partnered with Toys for Tots and pledged to donate $1.5 million in toys and funds to the organization this holiday season.

For 50 years, watching the television classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer has been a holiday tradition for millions of families. This holiday season, Hallmark Gold Crown stores will be full of ways to celebrate the generous spirit of Rudolph and give back through a partnership with Toys for Tots.

by Jim Malone, Retalon   Every year, retailers put fresh spins on evergreen holiday décor, remixing such classics as the Christmas tree and jack-o-lanterns to tempt seasonal shoppers. Though we have yet to see this year's big trend, it's probably safe to say it will not be the Christmas Turkey or Thanksgiving Skeleton.  

Books-A-Million Inc. is once again accepting Joe Muggs coffee donations for their Coffee for the Troops campaign that will benefit troops serving overseas and stateside.

Portland will be the proving ground this fall for a new mobile commerce initiative from Starbucks called Mobile Order and Pay that is part of the company’s broader effort to radically transform the retail experience.

New York -- HGTV will launch “Santa HQ,” an immersive experience that transforms the traditional visit with Santa Claus into an interactive journey, at 10 Macerich malls across the country, starting on Nov. 4, and lasting through Dec. 24.  

Amazon’s 50 fulfillments centers and 15 sortation centers are looking to hire 80,000 seasonal works to cope with an anticipated surge in U.S. holiday sales.

Amazon, like other retailers, touts the seasonal positions as an opportunity to get in on the ground floor with the company and establish a foundation for a career. Last year, Amazon said it converted thousands of seasonal employees into regular, full-time roles after the holidays, and expects to do the same this year.