Start Your Free Shipping Offers Earlier

| Jim Tierney

Multichannel merchants should start free shipping promotions earlier in November, instead of waiting until the week of Black Friday, according to research released by eDataSource

IBM: Cyber Monday Spending Increases 33%

| MCM staff

The U.S. online retail sector delivered strong growth on Cyber Monday 2011 compared to the same period last year, according to cloud-based analytics findings by IBM, based on findings from IBM’s fourth annual Cyber Monday Benchmark.

IBM: Mobile Drove 14.3% of Black Friday Online Retail Traffic

| MCM staff

U.S. shoppers took advantage of early sales this holiday driving a 39.3% increase in online Thanksgiving Day spending while setting the stage for 24.3% online growth on Black Friday compared to the same period last year, according to cloud-based analytics findings by IBM.

Deloitte: Consumers Geared Up for Black Friday Weekend

| MCM staff

Deloitte’s 2011 pre-Thanksgiving shopping survey shows that more than half of holiday shoppers (51%) plan to shop in-stores or online over the Thanksgiving weekend. Furthermore, nearly 70% of the 1,000 consumers polled between Nov. 17 and Nov. 19 are looking for information about Black Friday sales.

A Look at Toys ‘R’ Us’s Holiday 2011 Mobile Strategy

| Tim Parry

Toys ‘R’ Us today announced Friday that it has expanded its mobile offerings for the 2011 holiday season. Here’s a look at what the multichannel toy seller is doing to bring an enhanced mobile experience to its customers.

How To Solve the Free Shipping Challenge

| Dave Fazekas

In the ever-changing economic environment, price pressure on retailers continues to mount as consumers look to save money. Online shoppers have, and always will, prefer to pay as little as possible for shipping

Forrester: Mobile Will Boost Online Holiday Sales

| MCM staff

The November and December holiday shopping season is expected to generate nearly $59.5 billion in online sales, aided by increased consumer touchpoints such as tablets and smartphones that give buyers more access to the Web.

Study: Men More Likely to do Social Shopping

| Tim Parry

Contradicting commonly held beliefs about gender and social behaviors, the study showed men more frequently research product information, read reviews, compare products, find product availability and get store information via social networks, shopping and deal sites; while women reign supreme when searching for deals, coupons and specials on similar sites.