Seasonal

Toledo, Ohio -- Hickory Farms has launched a new website featuring faster page load times, easier navigation, and improved search and checkout functions. Customers can shop on-the-go with the site's mobile and tablet-friendly design.

Chicago – Wintry weather across the Midwest and Northeast took its toll on store traffic, as a report by ShopperTrak showed that in-store sales for the week of Dec. 9 to Dec. 15 were down 0.8% from the same week last year. New data from ShopperTrak also shows that in-store shopper traffic also fell last week by 19.9% compared to the same time period in 2012.

By Len Shneyder, Senior Marketing Manager, OtherLevels

The numbers are out and they don’t lie: Almost 40% of all online traffic during Black Friday was driven by mobile devices. That figure is up 34% from the previous year, according to IBM’s Holiday Benchmark. But what’s more impressive than that is that nearly one-fifth of all online sales during the holiday shopping bonanza came from mobile devices.

New York -- The majority of American shoppers think that holiday discounts advertised by retailers are faked, according to a survey conducted by British marketing consultant David Rawlings.

Rawlings’ Google survey, "Before-Christmas sales — Do you believe the discounts are genuine?," queried 1,500 American Internet users, and found that more than 70% of those polled answered "no" to that question.

Wayne, N.J. -- Toys “R” Us announced that, beginning at 6:00 a.m. on Dec. 21, it will remain open continuously through 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve, leveraging last-minute toy shoppers’ most frenetic shopping hours.

All Toys “R” Us stores nationwide are advertising around-the-clock savings and deals during the final 87 hours of Christmas shopping, along with daily deliveries through Christmas Eve. Only full-service stores in Paramus, N.J., and Puerto Rico, will not be open 24 hours a day.

Toys “R” Us is resorting a familiar tactic and keeping its doors open from 6 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 21 through 9 p.m. Christmas Eve to drive last-minute holiday shoppers into its stores.

All Toys “R” Us stores nationwide are advertising around-the-clock savings and deals during the final 87 hours of Christmas shopping, along with daily deliveries through Christmas Eve. Only full-service stores in Paramus, N.J., and Puerto Rico, will not be open 24 hours a day.

The majority of American shoppers think that holiday discounts advertised by retailers are faked, according to a survey conducted by British marketing consultant David Rawlings.

Rawlings’ Google survey, "Before-Christmas sales — Do you believe the discounts are genuine?" queried 1,500 American Internet users, and found that more than 70% of those polled answered "no" to that question.

Sam's Club is offering some extra holiday cheer for shoppers who are looking to buy last-minute gifts and save some money in the process. The company is inviting the public to a three-day Holiday Open House from Friday, Dec. 20 to Sunday, Dec. 22.

The event allows shoppers to take advantage of lowered prices on the season's hot items, like smartphones and notebooks, without paying non-member upcharges.

Amazon is touting its Prime program again this holiday season, reminding members that they can order gifts as late as midnight EST Sunday, Dec. 22, and still get free delivery before Christmas.

The online retailer is leveraging the shorter shopping period this year, which is one week shorter than last year’s, to drive sales by emphasizing the convenience that online shopping can afford — a surefire way to draw shoppers who want to avoid the imminent crowds this weekend.

New York -- Analysis has uncovered a 46% increase in social networking referrals to top 500 retail websites during the most critical week of the year, just one of four key trends identified in a report by Experian Marketing Services.

The 2013 holiday marketing analysis from the holiday shopping season's peak week, the period beginning Thanksgiving and ending on Cyber Monday, cited the following four trends: