Seasonal

As Black Friday nears, retailers say yes to Turkey Day
With a little over two weeks until Black Friday weekend, Best Buy, HHgregg and other retailers are hoping many U.S. consumers have made shopping after Thanksgiving dinner a holiday tradition.

The consumer electronics retailers joined a growing list of retailers that released their Thanksgiving
plans this week. Both Best Buy and HHgregg have decided to keep their same holiday sales plans from last year.
Survey: Black Friday “creep” remains strong
Nearly one-third of retailers surveyed by JLL say they plan to open on Thanksgiving Day in order to get a jump on Black Friday sales.

JLL’s 2015 Holiday Sentiment Report, which includes feedback from largely national or global retailers in JLL-managed shopping centers across the United States, also reveals more than half of those retailers expect an uptick in shopper traffic this year.

Meijer pledges $400,000 to toy-giving program

Any toy purchased at Meijer through Nov. 30 will help the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based retailer grant a child's wish this holiday season.

Meijer is once again donating a portion of customer purchases made in the toy department, up to $400,000, to children's gift-giving programs throughout the Midwest.
Major U.S. retailers team up for Singles Day

It would take a pretty big event to cause Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Off 5th, and Neiman Marcus to all align their online discount offers.

Singles Day, coming up on Nov. 11, is just that size of an event. Once an informal celebration of the Chinese singles dating scene, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba formally turned Singles Day into a shopping holiday in 2009. The occasion generated gross merchandise volume of more than $9.3 billion on the Alibaba Alipay mobile and digital payment platform alone in 2014.
Toys ‘R’ Us to open Thanksgiving Day for third year in a row

While some retailers are taking a stand this year against opening on Thanksgiving Day and even Black Friday, Toys “R” Us thinks its customers will be ready to do some shopping after their turkey dinners.

The toy retailer announced that its stores will open at 5 p.m. on Nov. 26, the same time as last year. Stores will remain open through 11 p.m. on Nov. 27.

Last month outdoors retailer REI said it would close on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday. GameStop, At Home and Staples have also announced they would not open on Thanksgiving.
Target to offer 10 days of Black Friday deals

Target is planning to not only open on Thanksgiving Day but also roll out a new “10 Days of Deals” promotion to increase traffic to its stores.

As part of the “10 Days of Deals,” the retailer announced it will offer daily discounts on electronics, kitchenware, toys and more from Nov. 22 through Dec. 1. In addition, guests will have access to a Black Friday presale on Nov. 25.
Black Friday starting early at Sam's Club

Sam’s Club is introducing a new way for shoppers to get a head start on their holiday shopping: Pre-Black Friday.

The nation’s eighth largest retailer and the warehouse division of Walmart is planning to give Sam's Club members early access to exclusive savings on some of the most sought-after holiday items and Thanksgiving meal must-haves.
Toys ‘R’ Us to open Thanksgiving Day for 3rd year in a row

While some retailers are taking a stand this year against opening on Thanksgiving Day and even Black Friday, Toys“R”Us thinks its customers will be ready to do some shopping after their turkey dinners.

The toy retailer announced that its stores will open at 5 p.m. on Nov. 26, the same time as last year. Stores will remain open through 11 p.m. on Nov. 27.

Last month outdoors retailer REI said it would close on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday. Jo-Ann Fabrics, GameStop, At Home and Staples have also announced they would not open on Thanksgiving.
U.S. leads the world in retail shrink

Dishonest employees and shoplifters pushed shrink rates to record levels and earned the United States the distinction of leading the world in the least desirable of retail metrics.

According to retailers surveyed for the Global Retail Theft Barometer, shrink rose in the U.S. from 1.28% of sales in 2013-2014 to 1.97% during 2014-2015. Globally, this compares to 1.42% , a figure also up from the previous .94% average of all common retailers surveyed the previous year.
HHgregg not looking good heading into holidays

HHgregg 's CEO says the company is on track to meet key financial objectives even though it posted negative same-store sales growth and a larger loss in the second quarter.
Innovative Ways to Overcome Holiday Workplace Liabilities With Contractors and Temp Employees

For a variety of retailers – from supermarkets, to restaurants, to department and convenience stores – the holiday shopping season represents the peak time of year for staffing up on temporary workers to help meet all of the increase in consumer demand. However, the need to staff up may be even greater this year as some companies have already been operating with limited capacity given the nation-wide labor shortage.
A rough third quarter for Stein Mart

Stein Mart reported negative same-store sales growth on the same day that the company also lost its chief merchant to an off-price rival.

For the third quarter ended Oct. 31, Stein Mart comps fell 2.3%.

"Unseasonably warm weather impacted traffic and our sales during the third quarter," said Jay Stein, CEO. "We continue to have a positive outlook on our important fourth quarter holiday sales which will include incremental sales from six new stores opened through the third quarter plus four more new stores opening in November."