Retail

The Bon-Ton Stores will be opening its stores at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, joining a growing list of retailers getting a jump on Black Friday. The retailer is also offering in-store doorbuster deals through 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29.

Online doorbusters will begin at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 27. Other retailers that have already announced plans to open stores at 8 p.m. Thanksgiving night include Macy’s, J.C. Penney and Kohl’s.

Canton, Mass. – Dunkin’ Donuts is increasing its focus on opening stores in college campuses and other non-traditional locations. The list of universities that have recently opened new Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in 2013 or plan to open new locations by January 2014 includes Westfield University (second location), Norwich University, Merrimack College, University of Rhode Island (opening two locations), University of Alabama Huntsville, Brandeis University, and Wayne State University.

Las Vegas — Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino is ushering in four new dining and retail destinations spanning 9,192 sq. ft.

Two new restaurants, Meatball Spot and Ketchup Premium Burger Bar will soon boost the restaurant count 17.

Tervis, the insulated tumbler retailer, will open at Miracle Mile Shops in December.  Slated to open in February 2014, Shoe Palace will add its selection of footwear, apparel and accessories to the center.

New York – Despite many forecasts of a gloomy holiday season for retailers, Deloitte is predicting an increase in consumer spending. Deloitte's 28th annual survey of holiday spending intentions and trends indicates shoppers surveyed plan to spend an average of $421 on holiday gifts this year, up from $386 last year. They also expect to buy an average of 12.9 gifts, ending a five-year decline in the number of gifts they plan to purchase.

Dallas — SRS Real Estate Partners welcomes Jon Cowen as senior VP in the Phoenix office. Cowen bring 24 years of experience in commercial real estate to SRS, where he will focus on representing local and national retailers, shopping center leasing and development and investment sales.

Previously, Cowen worked with the Retail Advisory Group at Cushman & Wakefield after Cushman acquired his own real estate firm, Cowen Commercial.

Despite having more data and insights into consumer desires and preferences, companies in the U.S. have failed to meaningfully improve customer satisfaction or reverse rising switching rates among their customers. As a result, there is a potential $1.3 trillion of revenue at play in the U.S. market represented by the ‘switching economy,’ according to new research released by Accenture.

Washington, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation calculated retail industry job gains at 15,200 in September, and 289,000 jobs year-over-year, a 2.4% increase over the same month last year and 2.0% higher than total private sector jobs over the past year.

By Crosby Renwick, [email protected]

Sure, the Internet plays an aggressive game. It’s looking like the Internet business is trouncing the retail business. However vast an assortment or low the prices a retailer offers, the Internet does it better and cheaper. The prognosticators all say the same thing: What little growth there will be in consumer spending over the next five years is mostly going to happen online.