News

New York -- One-quarter (25%) of U.S. consumers plans to spend more on holiday shopping this year up from 20% in 2013, and spending on holiday gifts is expected to average $718, according to Accenture’s annual holiday shopping survey.

The survey also found consumer enthusiasm for Black Friday shopping has reached its highest level in eight years. Two-thirds of respondents (66%) said they are likely to shop on Black Friday, compared to 55% who planned to do so in 2013.

SC Johnson plans to disclose product-specific fragrance ingredient information, thus expanding its ingredient disclosure efforts.

Beginning in spring 2015, consumers will have access to the main ingredients used to create the fragrances in SC Johnson products. SC Johnson chairman and CEO Fisk Johnson announced the initiative during his remarks at the American Oil Chemists' Society World Conference in Montreux, Switzerland, this week.

New York -- Apparel retailers reported modest sales growth for the month of September, fueled by back-to-school spending early in the month.

Sephora, Express, Art of Shaving and Things Remembered are among the retailers using a new, in-mall mobile retail solution from StepsAway.

eBay plans to leverage its latest global brand campaign, called “Shop the World,” to position itself at the forefront of shoppers’ minds during the holiday shopping season.

eBay’s brand advertising and marketing campaign, which debuts Oct. 13, aims to support sellers by engaging existing eBay users and attracting new ones.

Reston, Va. -- Consumers have high expectations for retail care when shopping via mobile device, and if those expectations aren't met, they'll abandon the experience entirely, according to a new study from Contact Solutions. Fifty-one percent abandon the cart and close the app (lost purchase) when they struggle in a retail app, and 20% stop using the app entirely.

Toronto -- Canadians are eager to embrace future-forward payment options like wearable devices and smartwatches, according to a new study by PayPal Canada that was conducted by Nielsen. Close to a third of Canadians (29%) have used their mobile phone to make an online purchase while on-the-go, and nearly a quarter (23%) having used their mobile phone in-person at a store to make a purchase.

UPS plans to expand UPS My Choice and the UPS Access Point network, two services that, according to the company, work seamlessly together to manage residential package deliveries.
 
UPS My Choice, the customizable online and mobile service where consumers choose delivery preferences, will now be available to consumers in 15 additional countries throughout North America and Europe. UPS My Choice was first introduced in the US in 2011.