Information Technology

According to Shop.org’s eHoliday Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, half (51.0%) of online retailers surveyed will offer promotions specifically on Thanksgiving Day and eight in 10 (78.4%) will have special promotions on Cyber Monday. Additionally, 92.2 percent of online merchants will offer special promotions at some point during the Thanksgiving weekend.

The National Retail Federation announced today that Vicki Cantrell – a retail industry veteran who has held prominent positions at Tory Burch, Giorgio Armani, and Gucci – will join NRF as the association’s Senior Vice President, Communities and Executive Director, Shop.org on October 31.

According to the National Retail Federation’s 2011 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, holiday shoppers say they plan to shell out an average of $704.18 on holiday gifts and seasonal merchandise, down slightly from last year’s $718.98.* NRF is still forecasting overall holiday retail sales to grow 2.8 percent during the months of November and December to $465.6 billion.

The National Retail Federation today commended NRF Senior Vice President for Government Relations David French for being named a top association lobbyist by the venerable Capitol Hill newspaper The Hill.

The biggest event of all happens to be two months long, and retailers spend months preparing for it: the holiday season. In anticipation of Black Friday and other events that bring large crowds, NRF has released its 2011 Crowd Management Guidelines.

The National Retail Federation announced today that President Bill Clinton, Founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation and 42nd President of the United States, will keynote its 101st Annual Convention, January 15-18, 2012 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City.

While the September jobs numbers were better than expected, there is no doubt the economy is still facing significant headwinds. With the start of the holiday season just three weeks away, the persistently high unemployment rate is expected to hinder consumer demand and impact confidence.

The 2011 holiday season can be summed up in one word: average. On the heels of a holiday season that outperformed most analysts’ expectations, holiday retail sales* for 2011 are expected to increase 2.8 percent to $465.6 billion, according to the National Retail Federation.

The National Retail Federation today released a survey that illustrates the importance of employee background screenings in keeping customers safe.

According to NRF’s 2011 Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey conducted by BIGresearch, seven in 10 Americans (68.6%) plan to celebrate Halloween, up from 63.8 percent last year and the most in NRF’s 10-year survey history.

With the 2012 election season around the corner, the National Retail Federation today launched a first-of-its-kind major year-long advocacy campaign to advance a Jobs, Innovation, and Consumer Value Agenda on behalf of America’s retail industry and the $2.48 trillion in GDP and 41.6 million American jobs it supports.

According to the National Retail Federation, retail industry sales (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) in August increased 0.1 percent seasonally adjusted over July and 6.0 percent unadjusted year-over-year.

Following the announcement that the U.S. added a better-than-expected 117,000 jobs in July, National Retail Federation President and CEO Matthew Shay issued a statement urging Congress and the Administration to advance a strong jobs agenda.

A list of the fastest-growing retailers in the U.S., as compiled by STORES magazine.