Seasonal

Consumers are warming up their fingers as they prepare to shop on Cyber Monday.   As more of these shoppers (63%) flock online for Cyber Monday, 54% will use a desktop or laptop. Twenty five percent (25%) of shoppers plan to use a smart phone or tablet, but 21% will use a combination of all of these devices, according to “Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Thanksgiving 2016,” a report from Perk, an engagement platform provider. The study is based on responses from 670 Perk users between Nov. 1-8, 2016.   

The U.S. shopper’s love affair with the off-price channel shows no signs of winding down any time soon.       Ross Stores easily beat analysts’ expectations as its earnings increased 13% in the quarter ended Oct. 29, amid better-than-expected revenue growth and stronger margins.   

The first phase of Fairfield Town Center in northwest Houston is nearing completion and should be fully operational by Black Friday, promises owner Washington Prime Group, formerly WP Glimcher.   Already open and operating at the 600,000-sq.-ft. development are HEB, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Chick-fil-A, and McDonalds, among several others. The fully populated center will include Marshalls/Homegoods, Ulta, Chipotle, and Dress Barn.  

A majority of shoppers, 81%, intend to do most of their spending in physical stores during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend (Nov. 24-27). This total increases to 95% when you include consumers who will shop at those same physical retailers’ online channels (omnichannel retailers).   These are among the findings of the “2016 Black Friday Consumer Survey” from International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).   

U.S. online holiday spending will reach $112 billion in 2016, growing 13% over 2015.    That is according to Forrester’s Holiday Retail Sales Forecast, which said that while online sales are 12% of annual retail sales, they jump to 16% of total holiday sales during the November and December months.  

Forty percent of U.S. consumers plan to spend more this year than during the 2015 holiday shopping season, driven by better job prospects and an improving economy.     That’s one of the findings of the A.T. Kearney 2016 Holiday Shopping Survey, which was conducted online from Oct. 24 – Oct. 25, 2016.   

The ghost of holidays past hangs over many retail workers, according to a new study of part- and full-time retail employees by Kronos.   Forty-percent of employees in the survey said that their employer did not have enough staff in previous years to account for the amount of shoppers they receive at their store. And 53% are worried about getting burned out during the holiday season.  

Most experts agree that the busiest day of this year’s holiday shopping season is likely to be Saturday, Dec. 17. But what about shoppers who want to avoid the crowds?   According to RetailNext Inc., Tuesday, Nov. 29 will afford the widest berths in malls and stores.