Retail

By Connor Marsden, U.S. Lead, Microsoft Dynamics CRM

New York -- Cyber Monday online sales are up 17.5% over the same period last year as of 6 p.m. EST on Monday, according to IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark.

Mobile traffic accounted for 29.4% of all online traffic, up almost 62% compared to the same period last year.

In other findings from IBM:

U.S. shoppers made Cyber Monday the biggest online shopping day in history with a 20.6% increase in online sales, according to the latest cloud-based analytics findings from IBM. Mobile sales led the way, exceeding 17% of total online sales, an increase of 55.4% year-over-year.  

Cyber Monday also capped the highest five-day online sales period on record — from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday — which grew 16.5% over the same period in 2012.

Disposition firm: A&G Realty Partners

Number of properties: 600

Locations: 95% in strip centers, with the balance in middle market malls across the United States

Status: A&G successfully terminated more than 300 leases. The balance had natural lease expirations.

Canadian retailer Jersey City unifies store and online operations

San Francisco – West Elm is scheduled to open the company's first U.K. store in London on Dec. 5. The 12,000-sq.-ft. store will feature furniture, textiles, accessories and gifts, as well as a West Elm Market shop-in-shop and coffee shop. The store will employ 30 full- and part-time sales associates.

The London store will include a Local Gallery Wall featuring art from U.K. artists sourced through Etsy, the online marketplace for handmade or vintage items. The wall is curated by Will Taylor of the blog Bright.Bazaar.

Macy’s is kicking off its fifth annual National Believe Day. As part of Macy's nostalgic Believe campaign, which was inspired by the New York Sun's famous editorial "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus," National Believe Day was created to spread the season's message of kindness and generosity toward others.

While owners and developers are redeveloping, expanding and beginning to plan new developments across the Northeast, property surpluses created by the recession remain. Where are these surpluses? How will they be disposed of? Chain Store Age asked Andy Graiser, co-president of A&G Realty Partners, to talk about disposition today in the Northeast. Graiser is a property disposition expert with more than 25 years of experience with retail real estate.

Characterize surplus retail real estate in the Northeast.