Seasonal

By Maria Haggerty, president, Dotcom Distribution

More than 1,000 U.S. merchants will offer free shipping this Dec. 18 on all orders with guaranteed delivery by Christmas. Just six days before Christmas, free shipping day attracts troves of last-minute shoppers looking for a good deal and generated more than one billion dollars in online sales last year.

Bangalore, India - Tata Starbucks Limited, the 50/50 joint venture between Starbucks Coffee Company and Tata Global Beverages Limited, opens a new India flagship store in Bangalore on Saturday, Nov. 23.

In addition to the flagship store at Koramangala, Tata Starbucks Limited will open two more stores by the end of the year at Phoenix Market City and Orion Mall at Brigade Gateway in Bangalore.

San Bruno, Calif. – Wal-Mart is providing a number of special holiday deals to online and mobile shoppers as part of an early Cyber Monday promotion that begins Saturday, Nov. 30. In addition, Walmart's mobile app customers, Facebook fans and email subscribers will be among the first to receive invitations to an early shopping event on Sunday, Dec. 1, featuring up to 20 of the best Cyber Monday items while supplies last, before they are widely available.

Harley-Davidson is looking to drive holiday sales by leveraging the power of Pinterest to promote its new online holiday gift guide.

Chicago -- Using new traffic forecasting metholdology, ShopperTrak now forecasts that 10% fewer shoppers will visit brick-and-mortar stores in the holiday months of November and December as compared to last year. In September, the company has projected a 1.4% decline in traffic.
 

Despite the growing popularity of online shopping, millions of consumers will flock to the stores this Black Friday. According to a recent study from WD Partners, "Amazon Can't Do That: Consumer Desire & the Store of the Future,” 79% of consumers rank instant ownership as a top factor in influencing how they shop.

Other store-friendly top influencers include sensory experience and product immersion (75%), emotional experience of interacting with live human beings, community, and personal service.

Bucking a retail industry trend this year, Sam’s Club won’t be open on Thanksgiving Day and on Black Friday it won’t open until 7 a.m. Instead, Sam’s is throwing some new promotional wrinkles at members and non-members including, “Sam’s Sunday,” event to drive sales.

Hampstead, Md. – Jos. A. Bank is attempting to get a jump on the many retailers starting their Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving by offering a “Super Tuesday” sale event on Tuesday, Nov. 26. The retailer will offer Black Friday prices on select “doorbuster” items in its 571 company-owned full-line stores nationwide.

In addition, these select doorbuster items will be offered online at Josbank.com beginning at 12:01 a.m. (EST) on November 26, 2013, and there will be other special one-day price discounts.