Seasonal

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation is out with its annual Giving Report which puts a monetary value on all the ways the retailer and its charitable arm sought to make a difference during the 2015 fiscal year.

From a big picture standpoint, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation donated more than $1.4 billion in cash and in kind donations, primarily food, and Walmart’s 2.2 million employees also contributed more than 1.5 million hours of their time outside of work to volunteer causes.

The Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) in partnership with the producers of the film Point Break have devised a novel approach to thanking those protecting American freedom.

Going into the final stretch of the holiday season, a majority of Americans are far from finished with their holiday shopping. 

Going into the final stretch of the holiday season, a majority of Americans are far from finished with their holiday shopping.

Seventy-three percent (73%) plan to shop last minute (vs. 79% in 2014), as most wait to find the best deals (44% vs. 46% in 2014), according to the latest American Express Spending & Saving Tracker.

Other reasons consumers are shopping last minute include trying to save up until they have enough money (22%, on par with 2014) and difficulty finding the time to shop (20% vs. 16% in 2014).

Return fraud during the holidays is a growing problem for retailers—and also an extremely expensive one.

Shoppers are expected to turn out in droves this coming Saturday (“Super Saturday”) and also on Sunday, the last weekend before Christmas.

Return fraud during the holidays is a growing problem for retailers—and also an extremely expensive one.

Delivery performance in the first half of December may land many providers on the naughty list.

According to analysis of what more than 130,000 shoppers said in surveys about on-time deliveries of their full orders between Dec. 1 - Dec. 15 by Bizrate Insights, a division of Connexity, time is not on their side.

Bizrate Insights data indicated on-time delivery rate went from 93.3% on Tuesday, Dec. 1 to 89.9% on Tuesday, Dec. 15. There were small day-over-day spikes in on-time delivery rate on Saturday, Dec. 5, Tuesday, Dec 8 and Friday Dec. 11.

eBay has come up with a clever solution to help Americans solve a common dilemma: what to do about unwanted holiday gifts.

The online marketplace retailer will operate pop-up selling stations in three select Westfield shopping centers across the country during “Boxing Weekend” from Dec. 26 (Boxing Day) to Dec. 27. The stations will be located at Westfield San Francisco Centre, San Francisco; Westfield Garden State Plaza, Paramus, New Jersey; and Westfield Hawthorn Center, Vernon Hills, Illinois.

Allen, Texas -- Trademark Property, announced that jewelry designer Kendra Scott will open at Watters Creek at Montgomery Farms, the 800,000-sq.-ft. mixed-use center in Allen, Texas. The 2,054 sq. ft. boutique, which will be located near White House | Black Market and Anthropologie, is slated to open in spring 2016.