Winter Holidays

New York -- On Wednesday, Nov. 28, Chainstoreage.com will unveil an exclusive and revealing look at how shoppers felt — what turned them on and off — on two of the busiest and most critical retail days of the year: Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The Holiday Shopper Sentiment Report: Black Friday and Cyber Monday Consumer Face-Off by SAP will explore real-time trends and insights that will inform the next generation of retail.

Protests by organized labor failed to materialize in a meaningful way at Walmart stores over the weekend and the retailer went on to achieve record results.

Retailers may as well start devising their 2013 Black Friday plans now based on the popularity of this year’s early openings on Thanksgiving.

The Thanksgiving evening openings by the likes of Walmart, Toys ‘R’ Us, Target, Sears and Kmart were denounced in some quarters as being anti-family, but a few vocal critics didn’t speak for the majority of shoppers who turned out in droves and spent with gusto.

Online shopping surged 26% on Black Friday to surpass $1 billion for the first time, according to the digital measurement firm comScore.

MT. ARLINGTON, N.J. — Looking to capitalize on the trend of personalization in time for the holiday season, M&M’s is offering customers who personalize their M&M’s new packaging options and product formats that they can order online.

Customers can go to Mymms.com, and get creative with their personalized chocolate gift-giving by choosing from iconic "m" acrylic containers, re-sealable stand-up bags with keepsake scoops, holiday stockings, teddy bear gift sets and an upscale gift box with a magnetic closure.

EMERYVILLE, Calif. — The LeapPad2 has received 20 awards from U.S. organizations that include Dr. Toy, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Parents' Choice Foundation and Time to Play, as well as key awards in the U.K. and Canada, according to LeapFrog Enterprises. It has been selected as a top toy by more children, parenting and industry experts and retailers than any other kid’s tablet, rendering it the most recognized kid's tablet of the year leading into the holiday season.

Purchase, N.Y. -- Spending in most of the key holiday categories, for the first two weeks of the retail month of November was down on a year-over-year basis, according to a SpendingPulse report released by MasterCard Advisors, the professional services arm of MasterCard. Apparel and luxury (excluding jewelry) were particularly hard hit, both showing year-over-year declines in the high 7% range.

Whatever your political views may be, it’s hard not to think about the impact of the recent presidential election on the consumer psyche, and ultimately our industry. Whether President Obama or Mitt Romney would have been better for the economy in the long run is an issue I’ll gladly leave to the political experts and historians. But I do think that, in the near term, we are less likely to see the big holiday spending numbers that some analysts were predicting.

NEW YORK — Victoria’s Secret returned to Manhattan in a big way this week with the reopening of a flagship store in Herald Square that was expanded to 8,000-sq.-ft.

The opening comes just in time to allow Victoria’s secret to capitalize on holiday sales in New York as local demand tends to be complemented by an influx of foreign tourists. On hand for the reopening of the newly expanded and now largest flagship store in the world were Victoria's Secret Angels Adriana Lima, Miranda Kerr, Candice Swanepoel and Lily Aldridge.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens will offer customers a mystery mobile coupon to draw them to the store on Black Friday.

“This promotion is an excellent example of how technology and innovation work together to provide customers with a great offer that increases engagement and enhances their shopping experience,” stated Sona Chawla, president of e-commerce for Walgreens. “At a time when shoppers are out looking for the best deals, we’re making it easy by sending real-time, relevant offers directly to them.”