As retailers face having only days to improve their sales results, they have turned to a part of their playbook that did not even exist a few years ago -- free shipping.
ThinkstockIt seems like we get new data every day reinforcing the message that online shopping (and spending) is better than ever this year. While we don’t know yet if this is poaching…
ThinkstockWhile Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) already has plans to open two additional Sam’s Club outlets in China in the coming year, its China chief, Greg Foran, said he hopes to increase…
Trey Thoelcke ThinkstockUPDATE, December 17, 2013, 1:10 p.m. — As we noted in our story on online sales earlier Tuesday morning, Google’s Product Listing Ads and Google Shopping have shown the largest percentage growth of…
ThinkstockUpdate: 10:13 12/17/2013. Apparently, Amazon holds a large lead in the race to sell toys to Christmas shoppers. According to Bloomberg: Gift givers searching online for a kid’s must-have toy this holiday…
Wikimedia CommonsThe top firms on Wall Street for some time have stressed quality yield and dividend growth stocks over pure high-dividend stocks. The stocks that consistently grow their dividends are usually consistently…
ThinkstockUpdated 10:46 a.m. 12/16/2013. The strike by Amazon workers from Germany due to what they believe is low pay has not caused any concern, or excitement, among investors — although it was…
ThinkstockPerhaps it was the bad weather in the Northeast the kept many shoppers home this weekend or perhaps shoppers are waiting for retailers to drop prices further, but the result seems to…
courtesy Wal-Mart Stores Inc.The spread of estimates of how holiday sales did over the period from Black Friday through Cyber Monday is wide. NRF reported that Thanksgiving Holiday spending reached $57.4 billion, which was…
courtesy of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.You know it has been a tough year for a stock when the market is up more than 25% but the stock is down. Underperformance in an up…
Wikimedia CommonsAmazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) admitted that the discounts it gave on gifts during its Black Friday Deals Week and Cyber Monday Deals Week are over. Like every other retailer, it has…
ThinkstockShopper traffic fell 21.6% year-over-year in the week ending December 8th according to the latest survey data from ShopperTrak released Wednesday. Sales compared with the same period a year ago were ,…
MicrosoftIn an announcement Wednesday morning touting its sale of more than 2 million of its new Xbox One game consoles, Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) said, “Demand is exceeding supply in our 13…
ThinkstockSo far, the list of reasons shoppers may let down the retail industry this year includes unemployment that is still at high levels, weak store sales over the Thanksgiving weekend and a consumer spending trend that…
Douglas A. McIntyre courtesy Wal-Mart Stores Inc.Major retailers have not let up on offering discounts — even a little. The trend could pull in shoppers who did not exhaust their budgets on the Thanksgiving to…
