Winter Holidays

Winter is fast approaching — is your facility ready? Statistically speaking nearly 80% of all slip and falls are due to snow and ice, and they occur mainly in parking lots and sidewalks. As an expert witness and consultant in the field of risk and liability due to snow and ice, I see incidences that could have been avoided had the facility performed a pre-season property assessment.

Retailers looking to add sparkle to this year’s Christmas season may want to take a new look at their gift card programs. Last year, more than half of consumers bought at least one gift card for the holidays, according to a report from First Data Corp., an Atlanta-based e-commerce processor.

Indeed, consumers seem to be taking more of a shine than ever to these types of spending vehicles.

When the days grow shorter and the air starts to turn chilly, retail companies prepare for their hottest time of year. As they get ready for the holiday season, retailers will do well to keep three additional factors in mind:

u Adjust for the presidential election. Typically, retailers market heavily in October and early November to drive store foot traffic as the holidays begin. Early marketing efforts, however, will not go as far this holiday season.

New York -- A report released Tuesday by Capital Business Credit found that, overall, importers and manufacturers who sell to America's major retailers are preparing for a surprisingly stronger winter shopping season than expected.

According to the quarterly "Global Retail Manufacturers and Importers Survey," 77% of importers of retail goods believe the fall/winter season will be the same or stronger than last year.

Washington, D.C. -- Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to increase 6.3% in August, compared with the same month last year, and 2012 should show an increase of 4.8% over last year, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released Monday by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

Menomonee Falls, Wis. -- Kohl’s Corp. reported a better-than-expected second-quarter profit amid efforts to control costs. Sales, however, disappointed.

The retailer posted a second-quarter profit of $240 million, down from $299 million in the year-ago period.

Net sales were $4.2 billion, down 1.0% from last year. Same-store sales decreased 2.7% for the quarter.

ARMONK, N.Y. — IBM's fifth annual Online Retail Holiday Readiness report has uncovered that 2012 may just be the year of mobile.

Based on data from more than 500 U.S. retailers, the report found that online mobile sales increased 88.8% in second quarter 2012, compared with year-ago period.

What's more, IBM is forecasting that mobile sales will reach 20% of total online holiday sales this holiday season, and that mobile traffic will close in on 25%.

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario — Walmart Canada has invited more than 550 kids and 350 parents to participate in the first-ever Great Big Toy Testing Event. Taking place on July 21, the event gives kids and parents the opportunity to interact with more than 100 toys and will help the retailer determine the top toy list for the 2012 holiday season.

NEW YORK — eBay's latest move to brand itself as more than just an online auction site, involves the launch of an exclusive designer collection for the holiday season. The company has partnered with designers Billy Reid, Chris Benz, Fallon, Jonathan Adler, Ruffian, Steven Alan and Tibi for an original, limited-edition gift collection of men’s and women’s apparel, jewelry, travel and electronics accessories and home décor.

New York -- The slowdown in consumer spending is set to continue for the rest of the year, said Moody’s Investors Service in a new sector report entitled "U.S. Retail: Retail Sales Growth Slows Amid a Cautious Consumer.”