holidays

Half of holiday shoppers have already started

More than half of consumers have already started their holiday shopping and nearly a quarter of purchases have already been made, according to the annual survey released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights... more »

Holiday shopping season kicks off for pet-lovers

The holiday shopping season kicks off for pet-lovers of all types. From felines to canines and small animals to fish, there are gifts aplenty available in retail stores around the globe and online. According to... more »

Shop Local celebrates its tenth year

American Express created Small Business Saturday ten years ago, in the middle of the recession, to encourage people to shop at small businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and to generate a community initiative to... more »

NRF expects more than 165 million people will shop over Thanksgiving weekend

Retailers are preparing for one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year with an estimated 165.3 million people likely to shop Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, according to the annual survey released by the... more »

Holiday shoppers plan to spend 4% more this year

Consumers say they will spend an average of $1,047.83 this holiday season, up 4% from the $1,007.24 they said they would spend last year, according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation (NRF)... more »

ASTRA’s 10th annual Neighborhood Toy Store Day is Nov. 9, 2019

The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association's (ASTRA) 10th annual Neighborhood Toy Store Day brings together all parts of the independent toy industry to reach holiday toy buyers. ASTRA stated resources are available to retailers who... more »

One of a Kind Holiday Show returns to The Mart in December

One of a Kind Holiday Show returns to The Mart from Dec. 5-8, 2019, with more than 600 talented artists and makers. The One of a Kind Show, held two times per year in Chicago at... more »

NRF expects 2019 holiday retail sales to increase

The National Retail Federation (NRF) today said it expects holiday retail sales during November and December to increase between 3.8% and 4.2% over 2018 to a total of between $727.9 billion and $730.7 billion. The... more »