Sales & Marketing

NEW YORK — A new survey by Angus Reid Public Opinion revealed a number of similarities and differences between the holiday shopping habits of people in North America and the United Kingdom.

The survey found that 40% of Americans, 41% of Canadians and 49% of Britons said they plan to spend less during the 2011 holiday season than they did last year, though 16% of Americans and 21% of Canadians said they're now in better financial situations. By contrast, 39% of Americans and 28% of Canadians said they're in worse shape, compared with 55% of Britons.

New York City -- The IBM Benchmark snapshot, released Wednesday, of online retail data showed growing strength in the category.

According to the data, online sales for the week of Dec. 5 were up 7.3% year over year. On Monday, Dec. 12, online sales were up 11.8% over the same day in 2010.

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Fourth quarter and fiscal year 2011 both proved positive for Stater Bros., the regional supermarket chain announced Tuesday.

For the fourth quarter ended Sept. 25, the retailer saw a 5% increase in sales to $941.9 million, compared with the year-ago period. For the 52-week fiscal year, sales rose 2.4% to $3.7 billion, the company said. Same-store sales for the fourth quarter and fiscal year experienced a 5% and 2.5% jump in same-store sales, respectively.

NEW YORK — The Tommy Hilfiger Group announced that it has named Avery Baker as chief marketing officer, a newly created position, effective immediately. Baker has been with the company for 15 years, most recently in the position of EVP global communications and marketing. Baker will continue to report to Fred Gehring, CEO of The Tommy Hilfiger Group.

Boston -- Zmags, a provider of rich media mobile and social merchandising, announced that Kenneth Cole has chosen Zmags CommercePro to create integrated web, mobile/tablet and Facebook-commerce brand experiences that drive product discovery and inspire purchase.

Kenneth Cole’s first commerce-enabled catalog launched in November, providing a dynamic and engaging experience to help its customers discover and buy the perfect gift.

Bentonville, Ark. -- On Tuesday, the second day of its "12 Days of Giving" Facebook campaign, Walmart is awarding $125,000 to 17 nonprofits that are dedicated to building a brighter future for children across the country.

Over 12 consecutive days, the company will award a total of $1.5 million to 145 organizations in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Calling it a first for the drug store industry, Rite Aid will roll out an online coupon management tool for members of its Wellness+ loyalty card program, the retail pharmacy chain said Tuesday.

New York City -- Customers returning electronics products will cost U.S. consumer electronics retailers and manufacturers nearly $17 billion this year, an increase of 21% since 2007, according to a new Accenture research report. These costs include receiving, assessing, repairing, reboxing, restocking and reselling returned products.