Despite a disappointing Thanksgiving weekend, U.S. holiday sales may squeak by expectations if steeper and longer-running discounts lure enough shoppers.
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If you still have Disney's Frozen Castle and Ice Palace Playset on your holiday gift list this year, you may already be out of luck. With Christmas approaching, the $119 toy - made by Mattel Inc - is sold out. Of course, you can find it at resellers for about $225 and even as high as $700 on eBay.
A German entrepreneur has invented an in-home machine that quickly turns raw beans into a freshly brewed cup of coffee, racking up 5,000 pre-orders as consumers search for the perfect brew and retailers hunt for new ways tap the coffee market.
U.S. online sales grew a smaller than expected 8 percent on Cyber Monday after web promotions before and during the Thanksgiving weekend robbed business from what has traditionally been the busiest day of the year for Internet shopping.
Early holiday promotions and rising online shopping took a toll on in-store U.S. sales during the Thanksgiving weekend as shoppers on average spent 6.4 percent less than they did a year earlier, according to data released Sunday by an industry group.
Target Corp (TGT.N) on Wednesday reported its first increase in U.S. same-store sales in four quarters and a quarterly profit above expectations, but said it would review the future of its loss-making Canadian business after the holiday season.
Dollar General Corp (DG.N) extended its tender offer for shares of Family Dollar Stores Inc (FDO.N) to Dec. 31, until after a shareholder vote that will decide the fate of a rival bid by Dollar Tree Inc (DLTR.O).
Target has invested $100 million to secure its credit and debit card payment facility and changing the magnetic stripes feature to chip-and-PIN terminals after 40 million cards were hacked.
Chicago-based Trustwave Holdings Inc denied allegations on the lawsuit filed by two lenders that it managed Target's data security and processed the data of its cardholders, Reuters reported.
Hackers responsible for the data breach on Target stores over the holiday season gained access using log-on credentials for heating, refrigeration, and air conditioning, according to a post on Krebs on Security written by former Washington Post reporter Brian Krebs.
The US Secret Service confirmed that it is investigating a potential data security attack at Texas-based arts and crafts retail chain Michaels Stores, which alerted its customers to check credit account statements for fraudulent charges.
The data theft at American retailer Target that happened between November to December last year prompted a bank to replace all customer debit cards involved in the breach, with the new cards to be sent out soon.
US retailer Target said that the data breach involving some 40 million of its credit and debit cards included encrypted personal identification numbers, the Financial Times reported.
Australia-based funds management group Alceon has acquired two shopping centers from Mirvac Group in a deal valued at $100 million as part of the listed group's non-core disposal program.
WalMart, Sears, Macy's and other retailers are now doing their best to increase sales for the coming Christmas season.
