Peak Holiday Season Sales Up 5.1% Over 2017

| Mike O'Brien

Consumer confidence and fatter paychecks steamrolled right over stock market woes and a partial government shutdown, with overall peak holiday season sales excluding automobiles increasing 5.1% to $850 billion between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24, according to data from Mastercard SpendingPulse.

Thanksgiving Ecommerce Sales Hit Record $3.7B, Up 28% from 2017

| Mike O'Brien

Online sales on Thanksgiving Day were a record $3.7 billion, according to Adobe Analytics, up 28% from 2017, making it the fastest growing retail day in ecommerce history. It was also a very mobile-friendly holiday, with orders from smartphones representing 36.7% of all sales and driving 54.4% of site traffic, Adobe reported.

Holiday Season Ecommerce Sales Hit $31.9B to Date, Up 16.7%

| Mike O'Brien

Even before Thanksgiving, ecommerce sales are already off to the races this holiday season. From Nov. 1 to Nov. 20, U.S. consumers spent $31.9 billion online, according to Adobe Analytics, up 16.7% from 2017. More than $1 billion in sales were generated all of those 20 days, Adobe said, a new record, surpassing $2 billion on Nov. 20.

holiday shopping online

Retail Fraud Attempts Expected to Rise 14% Over Cyber Weekend

| Mike O'Brien

Retail fraud attempts are projected to increase 14% during Cyber Weekend compared to last year, according to benchmark data from online payment provider ACI Worldwide based on hundreds of millions of merchant transactions. The fraud activity is likely to peak on Thanksgiving Day, according to ACI.

More than Half of Consumers Expected to Shop in Stores This Holiday Season

| Daniela Forte

Retailers with a physical presence have an advantage over pure-play ecommerce companies this holiday season, according to a survey by JLL Retail, with 57.3% of consumers planning to make the majority of their purchases there. See what five retailers consumers prefer as well as other predictions for their shopping habits this holiday season.

Cyber Monday Goes Mobile

| Daniela Forte

Holiday spending is expected to exceed $1.10 trillion through January 2019. This is an increase of 5% over last year. With online sales predicted to jump 17% to 22% over 2017, it’s time for retailers to plan for ways to gain a slice of the $7 billion Cyber Monday pie. Here is how retailers can use the mobile channel to meet customer expectations this holiday season.