Up to 134 million U.S. consumers could venture out to shop for holiday gifts this weekend, although many are testing the waters for bargains before they commit, according to a new report.
When the U.S. holiday shopping season kicks off on the day after Thanksgiving, retailers can expect to see millions of less frightened, but even more bargain-hungry customers cross their thresholds.
When the U.S. holiday shopping season kicks off on the day after Thanksgiving, retailers can expect to see millions of less frightened but even more bargain hungry customers cross their thresholds.
Retailer Wal-Mart's Black Friday advertisements have been published online promoting laptop computers below $200, $5 toys and $3 clothing, among others.
Black Friday 2009 deals are being unveiled by major retailers in the United States. Target, Kohl's and Best Buy are some of the companies with special deals for this year's Black Friday.
Target, Kohl's, Best Buy and major retailers have unveiled their special deals for Black Friday 2009, according to Gottadeal.com, a self-called official Black Friday deal website.
The economy is still spooking shoppers. U.S. consumers plan to spend an average of $56.31 on Halloween this year, down from $66.54 in 2008, according to a National Retail Federation survey.
U.S. retailers could see sales in the 2009 holiday season decline from last year's dismal results or show only a slight increase, even in the best scenario, according to a new forecast.
SEATTLE - U.S. retailers could see sales in the 2009 holiday season decline from last year's dismal results or show only a slight increase, even in the best scenario, according to a new forecast.
U.S. shoppers, come out, come out, wherever you are. Super Saturday, the last Saturday before Christmas, is often the biggest shopping day of the holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation.
U.S. consumers, who flocked to malls at the start of the holiday shopping season, have since backed off, kept out of stores by a Midwest ice storm and the ease of shopping online, data released on Sunday by SpendingPulse showed.
Some retailers reported stronger-than-expected November sales on Thursday, helped by a post-Thanksgiving rush and holiday discounts, but notable misses by others and a shift in the retail calendar left an unclear picture of the strength of the key holiday season.
Some retailers reported stronger-than-expected November sales on Thursday, helped by a post-Thanksgiving rush and holiday discounts, but notable misses by others and a shift in the retail calendar left an unclear picture of the strength of the key holiday season.
The holiday tug-of-war is under way. U.S. retailers want to rack up sales now, not later. Consumers, however, are resisting, playing the waiting game for bigger discounts closer to Christmas. To win the battle, many retailers are enticing shoppers with so-called limited-time sales, hoping a deadline will convince them to spend money now -- and help stores avoid profit-crunching price cuts later in the season.
Eager shoppers stormed malls and stores across the country on Friday to snap up the early-bird specials that mark Black Friday, the first official day of the U.S. holiday shopping season. While shoppers were looking for giveaways and discounts, analysts and investors were watching for signs of consumer strength or weakness.
The 2007 holiday shopping season kicked off on Friday with crowds of shoppers, many braving the bitter cold, snagging early bargains on one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Analysts expected moderate sales this year as consumers struggle with the slumping housing market, a credit crunch, rising food and fuel costs and uncertainty about their jobs.
The holiday shopping season kicked off on Thursday even before the turkey was carved, as retailers, worried that gift buying may slow this year, posted special deals on their Web sites on Thanksgiving day. Numerous retailers, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc, Best Buy Co Inc and Circuit City Stores Inc, are offering special deals online.
Let the holiday shopping madness begin ... please? That is the silent plea coming from U.S. retailers, which are gearing up for Black Friday, the chaotic and competitive day after Thanksgiving (November 22) when stores offer eye-popping, limited-time deals to kick off the holiday shopping season.
Gauging retail success or failure for the holidays is an increasingly difficult, and often unreliable, endeavor.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc said on Wednesday it will begin offering this week the type of holiday discounts it typically reserves for Black Friday -- the day after Thanksgiving that typically marks the start of the ultra-competitive holiday shopping season. Wal-Mart has said it intends to be aggressive this holiday season to boost sales at its U.S. stores.
Wal-Mart's lawyers have an early holiday message for Web sites that post Black Friday ads ahead of their official release date: Don't do it.
Retailers are touting holiday deals and discounts earlier than ever this year, but the efforts may fall flat as consumers expect to start shopping for this crucial season later than ever, according to a survey released on Tuesday by NPD Group.
