Seasonal

Overall holiday shopping season sales numbers have been rolling in, and the news confirms what many retail real estate analysts (including myself) suspected: 2014 holiday sales were strong. Nothing earth-shattering — but plenty good enough to chalk this one up as a win. There were some bright and not-so-bright spots (December sales were weaker than expected, for example, and numbers didn’t hit some of the more optimistic overall projections), but the takeaway is that we did see the anticipated increase that the industry was looking for.

New York – Consumers mostly spent within their means during the 2014 holiday season. Only one-in-six Americans spent more than expected this holiday season, according to a new Bankrate.com report.  

This is consistent with readings in previous years. Millennials (Americans ages 18-29) were twice as likely as those ages 30-49 to have spent more during the holidays than intended. Overall, one-in-four Americans spent less than expected this holiday season.

Grapevine, Texas – GameStop is running its annual “Re-Fun Your Refund” program. Starting Jan. 26 and running through March 1, customers can use their tax refund to pick up video games or electronics.

GameStop is offering a variety of discounts and special offers for video games, consumer electronics, and accessories. For the second consecutive year, GameStop is partnering with H&R Block to bring exclusive GameStop deals to H&R Block Emerald Card holders and can be redeemed at all GameStop store locations or online.

Cost Plus World Market is giving movie lovers until Feb. 21 to participate in an online contest that should help the Bed Bath & Beyond division build its email database.

The “Movie Lovers Sweepstakes” offers film buffs a chance to win one of four grand prize packages of free movies for a year (two tickets per week for 52 weeks) and a $1,000 World Market gift card by registering with their e-mail addresses and other personal information at worldmarketsweepstakes.com.

Framingham, Mass. – To celebrate the two-year anniversary of its SmartPay Check-Link mobile and card payment program, convenience chain Cumberland Farms is launching a promotion on its Facebook page Jan. 23-25. To enter, customers must calculate their projected 2015 coffee savings using Cumberland Farms' Coffee Savings Calculator, and post them as a comment on the Cumberland Farms page.

Twenty winners will be announced in the comments and will receive a $20 gift card to their local Cumberland Farms.
 

The Macy’s Bloomingdale division is pursuing a micro-seasonality promotion opportunity with an Asian-inspired marketing campaign.

The company announced that it will be ringing in the Year of the Ram this Chinese New Year with unique merchandise, special events and cultural presentations from Jan.22 – March 2.

Seattle -- Starbucks Corp.’s first-quarter profit surged 82% as new offerings and holiday gave a boost to store traffic. Net income increased to $983.1 million, from $540.7 million a year earlier.

Consolidated net revenues the quarter, ended Dec. 28, increased 13% to $4.8 billion. Global same-store sales increased 5%, with a 2% increase in traffic. Same-store sales in the company’s U.S.-dominated region rose 5%, with a 2% increase in traffic, better than analysts had expected.

Weak retail traffic and fewer sales at Sears hurt Lands’ End Inc. during the peak holiday season.

The retailer said it expects that for the period ending Jan. 30, earnings are expected to fall 20% to 26% from the year-earlier period to between $34 million to $37 million. On a per-share basis, the retailer forecast earnings of $1.06 to $1.16. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had been expecting $1.38 a share in earnings.

Mooresville, N.C. - Lowe's Companies Inc. plans to hire approximately 30,000 seasonal employees at its stores in the U.S. during spring, which is typically the busiest time of year in the home improvement industry. Seasonal jobs are focused on customer service and include cashiers, lawn and garden employees, loaders, and stockers.

It may not feel like it in many parts of the country, but spring, the busiest time of the year for home improvement stores, is just around the corner. And Lowe’s is wasting no time in getting ready.

The retailer said it plans to hire 30,000 employees at its stores in the United States during spring. 

Home Depot is sure to follow the move by Lowe's with its own hiring spree in the next few weeks, especially considering it hired as many as 80,000 seasonal employees in winter/spring 2014.