Despite signs that the economic recovery is losing steam, the outlook for online holiday sales remains upbeat.
Still, the uncertain economy does pose complex challenges for retailers’ holiday season preparations. How they manage inventory will be a critical success factor, so smart retailers are working more closely with supply-channel partners to deal with different consumer-demand scenarios.
The same bargain-hunting attitude adopted during the past two holiday seasons is likely to define shopping behavior again this year. Read More

A National Retail Federation survey conducted over the weekend confirms the expected: more people spent less. According to NRF’s Black Friday shopping survey, conducted by BIGresearch, 195 million shoppers visited stores and websites over Black Friday weekend, up from 172 million last year. However, the average spending over the weekend dropped to $343.31 per person from $372.57 a year ago. Total spending reached an estimated $41.2 billion.
I braved the crowds Friday and a day with my mother-in-law to spend my fair share — Read More