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MINNEAPOLIS - Despite an easy prior-year comparison, Target fell short of its December same-store sales guidance with a disappointing 0.9% gain. The company had forecast December comps in the low to mid single-digit range after it released November results, which saw comps advance 5.5%. Analysts were expecting the company to report a 4% December gain.

Costco said its worldwide sales increased 11% to $9.19 billion for the five-week period ended Jan. 2 and total company same-store sales increased 6%. Same-store sales at Costco’s U.S. clubs increased 4%, or 3% if the effect of higher year-over-year fuel prices is excluded. Internationally, same-store sales increased 12%, but that figure was aided by currency exchange rates. Excluding the impact of exchange rates, international same-store sales increased 8%.

NEW YORK - After coming off a strong November, U.S. retailers found their momentum largely waned in December, with sales impacted by a still-cautious consumer, early discounting and a blizzard that crippled the Northeast in the days immediately after Christmas. But while many chains missed Wall Street’s heightened expectations for December, the retail industry still turned in its strongest holiday performance since 2006.

NEW YORK -- On the heels of a strong November, some department store retailers reported surprisingly weak December revenue. Results were impacted by a blizzard in the Northeast, which took a bite out of sales after Christmas.

The results raised some worries that the holiday season might be less stellar than some had hoped. Still, much of Wall Street still predicts that November and December spending will show the largest annual increase since 2006.

Transaction marketing gained widespread acceptance among retailers in 2010, as they began to recognize marketing in the electronic banking channel as a far more cost effective way to encourage repeat business, increase the average transaction sizes and drive same-store sales. It enabled retailers to overcome the marketing waste associated with other channels -- like Groupon -- and consistently provided compelling and measurable return on their marketing investment.

TJX reported same-store sales of 2% December, beating Wall Street estimates for a 2.5% decline. Total sales rose 6% to $3 billion.

"I am extremely pleased with December's sales results, as we significantly exceeded our plans during this important period," TJX CEO Carol Meyrowitz, CEO, TJX.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Ebay has announced that it will engage fashion publishing innovator and style luminary Andrea Linett as creative director for Ebay fashion. Working with Ebay’s fashion business, marketing and communications units for North America, and the company’s technology team, Linett will drive the creative vision for the company’s multibillion-dollar fashion business and will be responsible for advancing the image, voice and editorial style for the marketplace’s clothing, shoes and accessories category, the company reported.

The final holiday numbers are in from online measurement firm comScore and it was a record year. November and December online sales increased 12% to $32.6 billion and, considering the surge in traffic that takes place at Walmart.com during those months and the increasing level of cross-channel integration, the retailer likely captured at least a fair share of the growth.

Rain and snow dealt the club channel a blow during December, as Costco was impacted by heavy rain in California and BJ’s felt the sting of blizzards in the Northeast. Sam’s was impacted too, but Costco and BJ’s have a higher concentration of stores in those areas so it is likely the effect was less.

Expectations outpaced the willingness of consumers to spend during December, as large numbers of retailers reported results that were less than expected. Weather certainly affected the ability of shoppers to get to stores, as heavy rains pelted California and blizzards hit the Northeast, but that type of stuff happens in December. A bigger factor was that retailers were victims of their own success. Recall November was something of a promotionpalooza and shoppers found offers that arrived early and often to be irresistible.