Winter Holidays

Retailers were already leery about the outlook for consumer spending this holiday season and reports Wednesday of record auto sales in August only add to the concern.

Both Walmart and Target reported disappointing second quarter sales and tempered their outlook for the full year. Conversely, car salespeople across the country were clinking champagne glasses and cashing commission checks as their employers, everyone from Mazda to Honda to Porsche and Ford, said August was a record month.

Alpharetta, Ga. – Seeking to boost the capacity and performance of its data center to handle the real-time decisions needed to meet seasonal demand for its 300 stores, HoneyBaked Ham of Georgia is using HP 3PAR Dynamic Optimization Software and HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage. The solutions nondisruptively add and rebalance capacity and system resources to handle changes in business demand on the fly.

The National Football League begins play soon and Procter & Gamble’s Tide brand is leveraging its relationship with all 32 teams with an innovative social media campaign.

Retailers will be promoting early and often during the upcoming holiday season, especially with six fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and mobile is sure to play an even greater role this year than it did in 2012.

As if competing against Target, Best Buy and Amazon.com isn’t challenging enough, nationwide the fast-food “strike” which took place Thursday offered a glimpse of the type of headline-grabbing, disruptive activities Walmart can expect from its opponents this holiday season.

Columbus, Ohio -- Express Inc. reported a profitable second quarter of fiscal 2013, with year-over-year increases in net income, net sales and same-store sales. Net income rose 7% to $16.8 million, in line with Wall Street expectations, from $15.9 million. The retailer raised its full-year guidance and also announced plans to launch its outlet business in the second quarter of next year.

Net sales for the quarter increased a better-than-expected 7% to $486.2 million, from $454.9 million.

Dallas -- Zale Corp. narrowed its net loss in the fourth quarter to $8 million, from $19.7 million a year ago. Despite the loss, the retailer reported its first profitable fiscal year since the financial crisis in 2008.

Tools for engaging with holiday shoppers on the most popular social platforms

Social media platforms offer retailers a chance for direct engagement with consumers as well as access to highly personalized data, all in real or near-real time. During the holiday season, with its intensified levels of competition and customer distraction, having the type of direct promotional connection with customers that social media can offer is more crucial than ever.