Retail

New York -- According to a report by IBM, U.S. shoppers took full advantage of early promotions this holiday season, driving a 17.4% increase in online sales Thanksgiving Day. This increase set the stage for 20.7% growth on Black Friday. The biggest surge came from mobile consumers, with sales reaching 16.3%, led by the iPad.

The data is the result of cloud-based analytics findings from IBM.  

Other findings of the IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark revealed the following trends:

Washington, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation reported that more than 35 million Americans visited retailers’ stores and websites on Thursday – up from 29 million last year – scoring deals on everything from hot electronic items to cashmere sweaters and toys.

According to an NRF survey conducted by BIGinsight over the weekend, traffic and spending grew over the entire weekend. More people than ever before also shopped online and in stores on Black Friday, as 89 million shoppers braved the crowds, up from 86 million last year.

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation has issued a statement from president and CEO Matthew Shay on the new White House report, “The Middle-Class Tax Cut’s Impact on Consumer Spending & Retailers.”

Walgreens’ new Chicago flagship, in the historic Noel State Bank building, preserves the architectural integrity of the space while adding contemporary accents. The store features an extensive collection of innovative offerings, products and services.

Learn more here.

More Stores of the Week

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — Capitalizing on its Thanksgiving and Black Friday sales, Dollar General has tackled Cyber Monday with the launch of a new mobile app for iPhone and Android smartphones.

The mobile app will offer shoppers sales ads, store locations, coupons and, of course, exclusive Cyber Monday deals available online. Shoppers will also be able to use Dollar General’s free Quick Response scanner to access upcoming sales and unlock additional savings, as well as connect with the retailer on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

Goodlettsville, Tenn. -- Dollar General announces its new mobile applications for iPhone and Android smartphones that include sales ads, store locations, coupons and more.

“Many of our shoppers use mobile phones for shopping and to make purchasing decisions,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s executive VP, division president and chief merchandising officer. “We’re making shopping at Dollar General simpler for our customers by making ads and information available at the touch of a button on their mobile phone.”

"A huge win," is how National Retailer Federation president and CEO Matt Shay characterized the biggest shopping weekend of the year during media briefing Sunday afternoon.

More people shopped more often in more places over the weekend and in the process pushed spending to a record $59.1 billion compared to $52.4 billion during the comparable four day period the prior year, according to an NRF survey of 4,000 shoppers.

New York -- Market share defensibility remains a key challenge for many traditional U.S. retailers, against a backdrop of minimal growth and heavy competition, according to a Fitch Ratings report. (Fitch views trends in market share as a key indicator of a company’s long-term financial outlook.)