Tag: holiday shopping

November 21, 2023

The winter holiday season is a critical time for retail. November and December holiday sales average around 19% of total retail sales, per the NRF, and this share can be even higher for some department stores and specialty retailers. Emarketer […]

December 22, 2022

Inflation remains one of the most important issues facing the US economy at the moment. According to Statista, US prices rose 8.2 percent in September, compared to the corresponding month in 2021. The monthly inflation rate for American goods and […]

December 13, 2022

Across the biggest retail events of the calendar year, ecommerce websites had to handle up to 80% more website traffic than normal, according to a new report by cloud hosting platform Platform.sh. Among the 12,000 websites that run on Platform.sh […]

September 19, 2022

Summer may have flown by, but nonetheless, it’s time for retailers to prepare and rollout their peak selling season plans. To help readers develop their strategies, RIS once again tapped retail experts to get their predictions and forecasts. We also […]

September 9, 2022

From supply chain struggles and delayed shipments to empty shelves and increasing inflation, retailers are yet again facing a myriad of struggles this holiday season. With the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend just months away, Wholesale Central spoke with experts from […]

January 10, 2022

And just like that — another holiday season has come and gone. Much like 2020, the holidays in 2021 were marked by the impacts of the pandemic. Retailers relied on fulfillment services like curbside pickup and same-day delivery to get […]

December 8, 2021

It’s become known as Panic Saturday. You know the one, that final Saturday before Christmas when all the last-minute shoppers descend on the nearest mall to snap up remaining gift items. But what are Panic Saturday shoppers likely to find […]

December 2, 2021

Though this year’s holiday shopping season has yielded mixed results so far, buy now, pay later platforms have seen a rise in consumer demand. Compared to 2019, installment payment spending increased by 422% and order volume spiked by 438% in […]

December 1, 2021

President Biden met with leading retail executives from Walmart, Kroger, Best Buy, CVS Health and more on November 29th to discuss their outlook for the holiday shopping season, and the steps companies large and small have taken to meet consumer […]

October 13, 2021

Target and Walmart want shoppers to know that their supply chains are OK. Both retailers in recent days have issued public comments reassuring customers that they are proactively managing their imports and logistics, and will be stocked for the holiday […]

September 29, 2021

As inventory constraints, labor shortages and supply chain issues threaten to complicate the upcoming season for retailers, holding a sales event ahead may encourage consumers to shop earlier. With the price matching incentive, shoppers no longer have to wait until […]

August 24, 2021

As retailers prepare for the holiday shopping season ahead, many may be thinking that now is the time to start preparing, wondering if we are gearing up for another extended, ecommerce-driven season. While we likely can expect to see more […]

January 15, 2021

Holiday retail sales rose 8.3% from 2019, according to data released by the National Retail Federation on Friday, as consumers embraced the gift-giving season as a way to cheer themselves up during the Covid pandemic. “Faced with rising transmission of […]

December 3, 2020

Retailers and industry experts have been forecasting a 2020 holiday season dominated by ecommerce almost since the world started taking COVID-19 seriously, and results from “Cyber Weekend,” or BFCM (Black Friday/Cyber Monday), effectively made their case. In fact, the behavioral […]

November 9, 2020

The pandemic rattled most aspects of the industry — consumer demand surges, supply strains, widespread store closures — but it also accelerated some trends analysts were already projecting, notably the increased adoption of e-commerce. Due to most nonessential stores closing […]

November 9, 2020

Retail is on the rebound. The SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT), which tracks the group, rallied almost 8% last week, fueled by gains in names including Etsy, Best Buy, Gap and Ross Stores. Etsy shares advanced by more than 20% […]

October 28, 2020

The U.S. Senate adjourned Monday evening, dashing hopes for the renewal of federal pandemic relief before the election and undermining a holiday shopping season already riddled with uncertainty. Lawmakers return to the Senate Nov. 9 without plans to tackle a […]

October 23, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic will have a profound impact on holiday shopping due to dramatically changed shopping behaviors. Customers want to feel safe shopping in stores and are spending money in different categories than last year, as we go into the […]

October 22, 2020

As the coronavirus pandemic and holiday season collide, Target said Thursday is is rolling out new measures over the next few weeks to put shoppers at ease. It will double the number of parking spots dedicated to curbside pickup. Customers […]

October 2, 2020

Black Friday has been losing its clout for years. The coronavirus pandemic could be what finishes it. The one-day event of doorbuster deals, packed mall parking lots and crowded shops has long been considered the unofficial kickoff to the holiday […]