Holiday Sales Were Actually Decent?

We’re sure that all sorts of information like is going to come out over the next few days. But an early report has holiday sales, from Black Friday to Christmas Eve, rising by 3.6%.

The data, provided by a MasterCard division, is an improvement over the 2.3% drop tracked a year ago. And these better-than-expected results happened in spite of the major storms taking place throughout the Northeast and Midwest.

A Good Black Friday? Ask Abercrombie

November’s same-store sales were released yesterday, and retailer’s results were far from overwhelming. The International Council of Shopping Centers says sales overall were actually down 0.8% year over year for the month.

Dow Jones has a pretty comprehensive list of individual retailer performance, and there are a lot of duds. Saks plunged 26.1%. Abercrombie & Fitch fell 17%. Children’s Place dropped 13%.

Are Black Friday Numbers a Surprise?

Black Friday weekend has come and gone, and most reports make it sound like retail sales were marginal at best.

The National Retail Federation says that more people shopped but spent less money.The average amount each customer spent, it says dropped to $343.31, down from $372.57 last year, but total sales were flat, at $42.1 billion.

Will Walmart’s Black Friday Crowd Control Work?

After the tragic Black Friday death last year of a seasonal employee at a Walmart on Long Island, NY, the retailer is launching new a crowd control program this holiday season.

To avoid the long lines and major rush on Friday morning, Walmart is keeping stores open 24 hours on Thanksgiving. The retailer also says that employees will better control the lines inside the stores.

Sears Starts Black Friday Early, On Wrong Day

This Saturday, on Halloween, Sears is launching a campaign called “Black Friday Now,” with “doorbuster” deals on Christmas trees, work boots, diamond-stud earrings and other select items. The deals will take place every Saturday until Christmas.

The retailer is saying that the move is a response to customers wanting deep-discount deals before the traditional Black Friday, which falls on the day after Thanksgiving. But we’re thinking it’s more of a move to combat Sears’ dismal sales results.