Mass Merchant

Columbus, Ohio -- 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.

Walmart’s reputation took a pounding this week when well-intentioned efforts by employees to help co-workers at several stores were distorted by media outlets and a high profile celebrity who lapped up organized labor’s interpretation of the situation.

Cleveland -- Holiday spending expectations are in line with last year when in-store shopping accounted for 70% of spending, according to a new survey by Forest City Enterprises. The average in-store expenditure is expected to increase by 1% to about $774. The average online expenditure is expected to decrease by 0.3% to $330.

Holiday shoppers will be driven more than ever by value this year and that they expect to shift even more of their spending toward children, the study found.  

Former Accenture CFO Pamela Craig has joined the Walmart board and will serve on the retailer’s audit committee involved in a two year old investigation related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Thanksgiving holiday sales are not getting much social promotion this year from retailers. According to an analysis of 494 brand posts from eight retailers by social software company Expion, only 10 focused on Thanksgiving holiday sales (Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday), or just 2% of all brand posts, and only five of the eight retailers posted about holiday sales.

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.

Crest Hill, Ill. — Mid-America Real Estate Corp.’s Net Lease Investment Group recently brokered the sale of a two-tenant 88,000-sq.-ft. retail building leased to Big Lots and Home Owners Bargain Outlet in Crest Hill, Ill. A private investor in California purchased the property from a local Chicago area investor for $2.25 million.

Major retailers surrounding the property include Jewel/Osco, Ultra Foods, Food 4 Less and TJ Maxx.