Seasonal

New York - Visits to the top 500 retail sites increased 13% on Black Friday, according to data from Experian Hitwise. For the sixth year in a row, Amazon was the top retail site receiving traffic on Black Friday. Walmart was the second most visited retail site, followed by Target. But Target’s visits increased 13% on versus 2009, representing the biggest increase among the top five sites. The top 20 retail sites accounted for 61% of all visits among the top 500 retail sites.

Atlanta -- For the first time ever, Home Depot will offer free shipping on 90,000 of the 100,000 items it offers online beginning on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, and running through Monday. Eligible items will be shipped for free via standard ground shipping.

"We know shipping is a large influence on where customers shop," said Hal Lawton, president of e-commerce and The Home Depot. "We made some improvements and changes to the site over the last year and we thought this would be a great way to attract new customers to site."

New York City -- A majority (88%) of consumers have gifts and presents still to purchase, and 79% are undecided about exactly what gifts to buy this year, according to the Holiday Shopping Index, an annual survey by StrategyOne, a Daniel J. Edelman strategic research and measurement consultancy firm.

Santa Clara, Calif. -- A study of some of the country’s largest retailers’ return policies has found significant failings, according to CrossView, a premier provider of cross-channel commerce solutions.
 

New York City -- Tiffany & Co. reported a 27% gain in third-quarter profit, topping analysts’ estimates, as sales rose globally. The jewelry retailer raised its full-year earnings forecast.

Net income rose to $55.1 million, from $43.3 million in the year-ago period, better than analysts had expected.