We look at the first sales forecasts coming in for the Black Friday shopping event in the US. Ecommerce sales hit $4.2bn on Thanksgiving Day Data from Adobe Analytics revealed that ecommerce sales increased 14.5% to $4.2bn on Thanksgiving Day. This is the first time that sales through the channel have exceeded $4.0bn on this day. Large retailers, those with sales in excess of $1bn, saw the ...

We look at Target’s strong third quarter performance and how it plans to win this holiday season. Top-line results Target’s third quarter revenue increased by 4.7% to $18.7bn, with comparable store sales up 4.5%. Comparable digital sales increased 31%. Operating income increased 22.3% to $1.0bn, with the stronger than expected increase in profitability driven by an improved gross margin. Th...

With many retailers starting their Black Friday promotions and deals early, we look at how this key shopping event is evolving in the US. Fewer shopping days Black Friday shopping traditionally takes place on the Friday after Thanksgiving Day. This year, the key shopping event is scheduled for November 29. However, many retailers are already running their Black Friday promotions, a signal o...