Consumer Analytics

Sears Holdings is looking to replicate the success it had with digital initiatives in 2011 by turning to the same firm that helped it deliver results.

For the second year in a row, Billups Design was selected to lead digital creative for Sears and Kmart Black Friday and holiday ecommerce dynamic ad campaigns. The project includes Sears and Kmart brand awareness ads, local ad business groups, and site retargeting ads with dynamic product feeds designed to increase ecommerce sales, according to Billups.

New York -- Sixty percent of Americans plan to shop in stores or online over the Thanksgiving weekend – up from 51% in 2011, according to Deloitte’s pre-Thanksgiving survey.

Among these weekend shoppers, 63% plan to shop in stores on Black Friday and 23% plan to shop in stores on Thanksgiving day (up from 17% in last year’s survey). Shoppers expect spend an average of $286 over the holiday weekend – up 28% from the 2011 survey

The survey also indicates:

New York -- Average asking rents on Lower Fifth Avenue in Manhattan rose 13% since the spring of 2012 to $1,021 per square foot (psf) and are up 51% since the same period in 2011, according to The Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY’s) Fall 2012 Retail Report. The study revealed continued signs of improvement in the Manhattan retail market, with high demand and limited availability, which significantly drove up asking rents especially in the most prominent shopping corridors

Indianapolis -- The Finish Line announced the re-launch of Finishline.com with an enhanced focus on the customer.

Finish Line collaborated with several industry innovators on the re-launch. Big Spaceship, a digital agency dedicated to creating connective experiences, products and platforms, and Demandware, a  provider of cloud-based commerce solutions, have worked integrally with Finish Line’s digital and IT teams in the research, re-design and implementation of the site.

By Al Beery, [email protected]

New York -- Mobile devices will play a pivotal role this Thanksgiving as the holiday transforms into "Mobile Thursday," the day before Black Friday, according to a new online survey by Harris Interactive, conducted on behalf of Digitas, a digitally led, global integrated brand agency.

San Jose, Calif. -- RetailNext announced that specialty retailer Cache has chosen RetailNext for its in-store traffic management and real-time monitoring system. The retailer is currently rolling out RetailNext's platform across the majority of its stores in 43 states.

A 2.7% third quarter same store sales increase at Sam’s Club was below expectations for a 3% to 5% increase. President and CEO Rosalind Brewer explained what went wrong yesterday morning during a pre-recorded message.

New York -- Deloitte reported Friday that its Consumer Spending Index rose sharply in October, primarily due to the significant increase in new home prices.

The Index tracks consumer cash flow as an indicator of future consumer spending.

Phoenix -- Manthan Systems announced that Sprouts Farmers Markets has selected Manthan’s ARC platform for enterprise-wide reporting and analytics. Currently operating 148 retail stores across eight states, Sprouts Farmers Markets has become synonymous with fresh produce, great prices and old-fashioned customer service.