Winter Holidays

Stamford, Conn. -- Pitney Bowes Inc. said that leathergoods retailer Dooney & Bourke will use technology and shipping services from Pitney Bowes to help expand the global online reach of its handbags and accessories.

Dooney & Bourke will use Pitney Bowes’s e-commerce software and international shipping services to help offer a seamless and convenient cross-border purchasing and shipping experience to online shoppers to destinations in up to 90 countries worldwide.
 

Washington, D.C. --  Retailers will lose an estimated $8.9 billion to return fraud this year, and $2.9 billion during the holiday season alone, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2012 Return Fraud Survey. Overall, retailers estimate 4.6% of holiday returns are fraudulent.

Framingham, Mass. -- A survey by Staples of 1,000 American shoppers revealed that the majority tend to wait until the last minute to mail holiday gifts.

The Staples Winter Holiday Survey found that two-thirds of those polled confessed to sending holiday cards out too late and nearly half admitted to shipping gifts at the last minute.

Through the first 30 days of the holiday season online sales have surpassed $20 billion with several days last week above the $1 billion mark.

New York -- Early reports indicate that Target Corp.’s holiday promotion with Neiman Marcus is not off to the spectacular start that many industry experts had expected. The promotion includes some 50 gift items featuring works of 24 well-known designers from Marc Jacobs to Diane von Furstenberg to Judith Leiber.

Washington -- The National Retail Federation on Monday issued the following statement from President and CEO Matthew Shay regarding the strike that has shut down most terminals at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. NRF last week sent President Obama a letter asking that he intervene in the strike.

Chicago -- Social media is now essential to marketing in the retail industry, according to a recent BDO USA survey, which found that 86% of retail CMOs have included social media in their holiday marketing strategy. The executives said social media accounts for 10% of their holiday advertising and marketing budgets this year.

Thorofare, N.J. -- Retailers in the United States are expected to lose $8.9 billion over the holiday season as a result of shoplifting, dishonest employees and vendor or distribution losses, according to a new study released by the Centre for Retail Research. In total, the losses could represent a 4% increase over the same period last year.

Solon, Ohio -- Black Friday and Cyber Monday does not always mean lower prices, according to a study by ECRM Analytics that examines Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions. The analysis exposes many common misconceptions around these two important shopping days.

ECRM found that when comparing Black Friday deals to other times throughout the year, it is apparent that holiday prices are not always the lowest, with leading retailers promoting higher prices than previously advertised on toys and consumer electronics.

By Tom Rittman, Theretailequation.com

The holiday season is often considered the most wonderful time of year, but as retail sales soar, so do returns. And don’t be fooled by a seemingly valid receipt. Savvy fraudsters know how to prey on holiday cheer costing retailers thousands of dollars in fraudulent returns and exchanges.