Cyber&nbsp;Monday&nbsp;sales&nbsp;were on course to bring in a record $9.2&nbsp;billion, according to evening estimates, building on a bumper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/between-black-friday-and-cyber-monday-pope-condemns-virus-of-consumerism-265592">Black Friday</a> weekend for&nbsp;US&nbsp;retailers driven by earlier-than-usual promotions and free shipping.

Shoppers have already had nearly a month of offers and deals as retailers look to draw out their vital holiday season, which is six days shorter this year due to a late Thanksgiving.

Adobe Analytics predicted that $72.1&nbsp;billion&nbsp;was spent online in the month ending December 1, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/cyber-monday-on-track-for-record-us-online-sales-estimate-265685">Cyber&nbsp;Monday</a>&nbsp;now traditionally the&nbsp;US&nbsp;economy's biggest internet shopping day had logged a 16.9 per cent&nbsp;jump in&nbsp;sales&nbsp;over the year prior as of 7 pm&nbsp;ET.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/venezuela-designers-turn-to-piracy-after-adobe-announces-it-will-cut-service-254691">Adobe</a>, which measures transactions from 80 of the biggest 100&nbsp;US&nbsp;retailers, said it marked down its prior $9.4&nbsp;billion&nbsp;forecast slightly as more data came in.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/amazon-violates-laws-banning-sex-discriminationsued-by-transgender-woman-and-husband-18814">Amazon.com</a> Inc and rivals such as Target Corp and Walmart Inc were&nbsp;poised&nbsp;to benefit from the event, having beefed up delivery services to fulfill online orders more quickly. In-store pickup of online orders has become smoother, too, said Carol Spieckerman, president at consultancy Spieckerman Retail.

"At the end of the day,&nbsp;Cyber&nbsp;Monday&nbsp;is just Black Friday revisited so the momentum, and the deals, really started last week," Spieckerman said.

Adobe also said $3&nbsp;billion&nbsp;of the estimated&nbsp;sales&nbsp;would be from smartphones, a new&nbsp;US&nbsp;record.

Large companies did well in this channel, outpacing small businesses due to investment in mobile apps and other technology, as well as to larger product and deals selections, said Taylor Schreiner, director of Adobe Digital Insights.

"The big companies are still getting disproportionate growth versus the small ones," he said.

The event was not all smooth sailing for the world's biggest online retailer, Amazon. Protesters, who have described the poor treatment of warehouse workers and rising climate emissions from the company's push for speedier deliveries, marched outside CEO Jeff Bezos' Fifth Avenue penthouse in New York City on&nbsp;Monday. "We're humans, not robots," read one sign.

Amazon spokeswoman Kristen Kish said unions and groups&nbsp;funded by competitors were "conjuring misinformation" about Amazon, which had industry-leading pay and benefits. The company aims to be carbon neutral by 2040.

Activists also tried to blockade a shopping mall in Paris, denouncing the spread of Black Friday to European shores. The day's shopping in the United States still paled in comparison to Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's "Singles Day" last month, when the Chinese e-commerce giant raked in $38.4&nbsp;billion&nbsp;in&nbsp;sales.

The&nbsp;US&nbsp;National Retail Federation estimates nearly 69 million Americans will scour the web on&nbsp;Monday&nbsp;for deals on everything from mobile phones to kitchenware, with Adobe estimating the biggest discounts on televisions and computers.

Top&nbsp;sellers included toys from the film "Frozen 2," LOL surprise dolls and Nintendo Co Ltd's Switch games console, Adobe said.

"#CyberMonday2019 The day of the year 85 per cent&nbsp;of the&nbsp;US&nbsp;population pretends to actually be working," tweeted Erika Mayor, a user in Miami.

Cyber Monday sales were on course to bring in a record $9.2 billion, according to evening estimates, building on a bumper Black Friday weekend for US retailers driven by earlier-than-usual promotions and free shipping.

Cyber Monday sales were on course to bring in a record $9.2 billion, according to evening estimates, building on a bumper Black Friday weekend for US retailers driven by earlier-than-usual promotions and free shipping. Shoppers have already had nearly a month of offers and deals as retailers look to draw out their vital holiday season, which is six days shorter this year due to a late Thanksgiving. Adobe Analytics predicted that $72.1 billion was spent online in the month ending December 1, and Cyber Monday now traditionally the US economy's biggest internet shopping day had logged a 16.9 per cent jump in sales over the year prior as of 7 pm ET. Adobe, which measures transactions from 80 of the biggest 100 US retailers, said it marked down its prior $9.4 billion forecast slightly as more data came in. Amazon.com Inc and rivals such as Target Corp and Walmart Inc were poised to benefit from the event, having beefed up delivery services to fulfill online orders more quickly. In-store pickup of online orders has become smoother, too, said Carol Spieckerman, president at consultancy Spieckerman Retail. "At the end of the day, Cyber Monday is just Black Friday revisited so the momentum, and the deals, really started last week," Spieckerman said. Adobe also said $3 billion of the estimated sales would be from smartphones, a new US record. Large companies did well in this channel, outpacing small businesses due to investment in mobile apps and other technology, as well as to larger product and deals selections, said Taylor Schreiner, director of Adobe Digital Insights. "The big companies are still getting disproportionate growth versus the small ones," he said. The event was not all smooth sailing for the world's biggest online retailer, Amazon. Protesters, who have described the poor treatment of warehouse workers and rising climate emissions from the company's push for speedier deliveries, marched outside CEO Jeff Bezos' Fifth Avenue penthouse in New York City on Monday. "We're humans, not robots," read one sign. Amazon spokeswoman Kristen Kish said unions and groups funded by competitors were "conjuring misinformation" about Amazon, which had industry-leading pay and benefits. The company aims to be carbon neutral by 2040. Activists also tried to blockade a shopping mall in Paris, denouncing the spread of Black Friday to European shores. The day's shopping in the United States still paled in comparison to Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's "Singles Day" last month, when the Chinese e-commerce giant raked in $38.4 billion in sales. The US National Retail Federation estimates nearly 69 million Americans will scour the web on Monday for deals on everything from mobile phones to kitchenware, with Adobe estimating the biggest discounts on televisions and computers. Top sellers included toys from the film "Frozen 2," LOL surprise dolls and Nintendo Co Ltd's Switch games console, Adobe said. "#CyberMonday2019 The day of the year 85 per cent of the US population pretends to actually be working," tweeted Erika Mayor, a user in Miami.

US Cyber Monday sales to hit record $9.2 billion

US online sales are set to hit a new record on this week's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/between-black-friday-and-cyber-monday-pope-condemns-virus-of-consumerism-265592#excesses-of-con-265585">"Cyber&nbsp;Monday,"</a> Adobe Analytics said, as e-commerce outlets gear up to lure shoppers in the opening days of the holiday season.

Internet purchases are expected to reach $9.4 billion, a jump of nearly 19 per cent over last year's record-setting $7.9 billion take, according to a Sunday estimate from the company, which measures transactions from 80 of the 100 largest US online retailers.

US merchants have long viewed the days after the Thursday Thanksgiving holiday as a prime time to part shoppers from their money, particularly during the "Black Friday" sales following the holiday.

This year's expected record-setting shopping comes as Price Waterhouse Cooper found for the first time that a majority of people surveyed said they would rather shop online than in a brick-and-mortar store.

Shoppers spent $7.4 billion online on Friday, according to Adobe. Some 40 per cent of these purchases were made using smartphones. On Thanksgiving Day, US consumers spent $4.2 billion online.

Online sales on "Small Business Saturday" amounted to $3.6 billion, up 18 per cent over last year.

This increase was "fueled by strong gains from both large and small retailers alike," said Vivek Pandya, lead analyst at Adobe.

"The weekend between Black Friday and&nbsp;Cyber&nbsp;Monday&nbsp;is emerging as a truly lucrative period for online commerce," he added.

The hottest toys included L.O.L. Surprise dolls and items linked to the Disney blockbuster movie <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/frozen-2-review-elsa-and-anna-grow-up-and-take-charge-of-things-263883">"Frozen 2."</a> In the video game category, the top sellers were FIFA 20, Madden 20 and Nintendo Switch.

The most popular electronics were <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/apple-taking-a-deeper-look-at-map-policies-after-calling-crimea-part-of-russia-265344">Apple</a> laptops, AirPods and Samsung TVs.

Adobe expects shoppers to spend a total of $143.8 billion during the entire holiday season.

According to a study released on Sunday by the International Council of Shopping Centers,&nbsp;an estimated 160 million people flocked to stores over the Thanksgiving weekend and spent on average just over $500 each.

That's up from 151 million shoppers last year.

US online sales are set to hit a new record on this week's "Cyber Monday," Adobe Analytics said, as e-commerce outlets gear up to lure shoppers in the opening days of the holiday season.

US online sales are set to hit a new record on this week's "Cyber Monday," Adobe Analytics said, as e-commerce outlets gear up to lure shoppers in the opening days of the holiday season. Internet purchases are expected to reach $9.4 billion, a jump of nearly 19 per cent over last year's record-setting $7.9 billion take, according to a Sunday estimate from the company, which measures transactions from 80 of the 100 largest US online retailers. US merchants have long viewed the days after the Thursday Thanksgiving holiday as a prime time to part shoppers from their money, particularly during the "Black Friday" sales following the holiday. This year's expected record-setting shopping comes as Price Waterhouse Cooper found for the first time that a majority of people surveyed said they would rather shop online than in a brick-and-mortar store. Shoppers spent $7.4 billion online on Friday, according to Adobe. Some 40 per cent of these purchases were made using smartphones. On Thanksgiving Day, US consumers spent $4.2 billion online. Online sales on "Small Business Saturday" amounted to $3.6 billion, up 18 per cent over last year. This increase was "fueled by strong gains from both large and small retailers alike," said Vivek Pandya, lead analyst at Adobe. "The weekend between Black Friday and Cyber Monday is emerging as a truly lucrative period for online commerce," he added. The hottest toys included L.O.L. Surprise dolls and items linked to the Disney blockbuster movie "Frozen 2." In the video game category, the top sellers were FIFA 20, Madden 20 and Nintendo Switch. The most popular electronics were Apple laptops, AirPods and Samsung TVs. Adobe expects shoppers to spend a total of $143.8 billion during the entire holiday season. According to a study released on Sunday by the International Council of Shopping Centers, an estimated 160 million people flocked to stores over the Thanksgiving weekend and spent on average just over $500 each. That's up from 151 million shoppers last year.

'Cyber Monday' on track for record US online sales: Estimate

Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Pope condemns 'virus' of consumerism

Dutch police kept up a huge manhunt on Saturday for an assailant who stabbed three youths in The Hague's main shopping area.

Officials said they were keeping an open mind about the motive for the attack, which came as shoppers hunted bargains on Black Friday.

The incident caused panic in The Hague as it happened just hours after two people were stabbed to death in London allegedly by an ex-prisoner convicted of terrorism offences.

The male attacker ran off after the stabbings at a department store in the city centre's Grote Marktstraat, The Hague's main shopping area.

"We haven't arrested a suspect yet. So we are currently very busy trying the find the suspect," police spokeswoman Marije Kuiper told AFP.

"It's a little too early to speculate about that kind of thing," she said when asked about a possible terrorist motive, adding that investigators were still looking at several possible scenarios.

Police forensics officers were seen examining a knife found at the scene overnight.

The victims were a 13-year-old boy from The Hague, a girl of 15 from Alphen aan den Rijn and a 15-year-old girl from Leiderdorp, the ANP news agency said, quoting police. They did not know each other, police said.

They were all allowed to go home from hospital overnight.

Images on social media showed shoppers running in panic away from the scene, on a nighttime retail street lit by Christmas fairy lights.

'Screaming and running away'

Two teenage girls came running into the store after being stabbed, broadcaster NOS quoted witnesses as saying.

"I saw two girls screaming and running away. A man fled. He jumped very athletically over benches to getaway. He looked like a cheetah," one witness told NOS.

"People were trying to getaway. but that didn't work. I was shocked."

Police helicopters flew overhead and several emergency vehicles were on site, the correspondent said.

Police initially gave a description of a man they were looking for aged between 40 and 50 but later withdrew it, saying they were still investigating.

The stabbing took place not far from parliament, which is the seat of government for the Netherlands and home to many international organisations and courts.

In Britain, two members of the public were killed in a stabbing on London Bridge in the heart of the capital on Friday.&nbsp;

The Netherlands has seen a series of terror attacks and plots, although not so far on the scale of those in other European countries.

In March four people were killed when a Turkish-born man opened fire on a tram in the city of Utrecht.

In August 2018 an Afghan man stabbed and seriously wounded two American tourists at Amsterdam's central station, saying he wanted to "protect the Prophet Mohammed".

He was jailed for 26 years in October this year.

Earlier this month a Pakistani man was sentenced to 10 years in jail for a plot to kill far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders.

Dutch police kept up a huge manhunt on Saturday for an assailant who stabbed three youths in The Hague's main shopping area. Officials said they were keeping an open mind about the motive for the attack, which came as shoppers hunted bargains on Black Friday.

Dutch police kept up a huge manhunt on Saturday for an assailant who stabbed three youths in The Hague's main shopping area. Officials said they were keeping an open mind about the motive for the attack, which came as shoppers hunted bargains on Black Friday. The incident caused panic in The Hague as it happened just hours after two people were stabbed to death in London allegedly by an ex-prisoner convicted of terrorism offences. The male attacker ran off after the stabbings at a department store in the city centre's Grote Marktstraat, The Hague's main shopping area. "We haven't arrested a suspect yet. So we are currently very busy trying the find the suspect," police spokeswoman Marije Kuiper told AFP. "It's a little too early to speculate about that kind of thing," she said when asked about a possible terrorist motive, adding that investigators were still looking at several possible scenarios. Police forensics officers were seen examining a knife found at the scene overnight. The victims were a 13-year-old boy from The Hague, a girl of 15 from Alphen aan den Rijn and a 15-year-old girl from Leiderdorp, the ANP news agency said, quoting police. They did not know each other, police said. They were all allowed to go home from hospital overnight. Images on social media showed shoppers running in panic away from the scene, on a nighttime retail street lit by Christmas fairy lights. 'Screaming and running away' Two teenage girls came running into the store after being stabbed, broadcaster NOS quoted witnesses as saying. "I saw two girls screaming and running away. A man fled. He jumped very athletically over benches to getaway. He looked like a cheetah," one witness told NOS. "People were trying to getaway. but that didn't work. I was shocked." Police helicopters flew overhead and several emergency vehicles were on site, the correspondent said. Police initially gave a description of a man they were looking for aged between 40 and 50 but later withdrew it, saying they were still investigating. The stabbing took place not far from parliament, which is the seat of government for the Netherlands and home to many international organisations and courts. In Britain, two members of the public were killed in a stabbing on London Bridge in the heart of the capital on Friday. The Netherlands has seen a series of terror attacks and plots, although not so far on the scale of those in other European countries. In March four people were killed when a Turkish-born man opened fire on a tram in the city of Utrecht. In August 2018 an Afghan man stabbed and seriously wounded two American tourists at Amsterdam's central station, saying he wanted to "protect the Prophet Mohammed". He was jailed for 26 years in October this year. Earlier this month a Pakistani man was sentenced to 10 years in jail for a plot to kill far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders.

Dutch police hunt suspect after three stabbed in The Hague

Chinese e-commerce giant <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/chinas-alibaba-invests-33-billion-to-raise-stake-in-logistics-unit-cainiao-260785">Alibaba Group Holdin</a>g Inc on Monday said sales for its annual Singles' Day shopping blitz hit 158.31 billion yuan (£17.69 billion) in its first nine hours, up 25% from 126.72 billion yuan at the same point last year.

Akin to Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the United States, Singles' Day has been promoted as a shopping fest by Alibaba Chairman and Chief Executive Daniel Zhang since 2009, growing rapidly to become the world's biggest online sales event.

Also known as "Double Eleven", the festival's name originates from the calendar date November&nbsp;11, with the four ones of 11/11 signifying being single.

Alibaba netted sales worth $30 billion on its platforms on Singles' Day last year, dwarfing the $7.9 billion US&nbsp;online sales for Cyber Monday. Yet the 27 per cent&nbsp;sales growth was the lowest in the event's 10-year history, spurring a search for fresh ideas.

Citic Securities, in a November&nbsp;9 research note, forecast Singles Day sales to grow 20-25 per cent&nbsp;this year, held back partly by slowing overall e-commerce growth in China.

The Chinese retail juggernaut, with a market value of $486 billion, kicked off this year's 24-hour shopping fest with performances by American pop star Taylor Swift and local celebrities such as Jackson Yee.

Sales hit $1 billion in the first minute and eight seconds and reached 84 billion yuan in the first hour, up 22 per cent&nbsp;from last year's early haul of 69 billion yuan.

Singles' Day was among the top trending topics on China's Twitter-like Weibo microblogging platform on Monday morning, with users discussing what they spent their money on.

Alibaba has said it expects over 500 million users to participate in the shopping festival this year, about 100 million more than last year.

This is the first time Alibaba's Singles' Day does not have flamboyant co-founder Jack Ma at its helm, after he resigned in September as chairman to "start a new life".

It also comes at a crucial time for the company, which is looking to raise up to $15 billion via a share sale in Hong Kong this month.

Alibaba continues to dominate the online shopping industry, but not without competition.

In addition to longtime rival JD.com Inc, it also faces competition from Pinduoduo Inc,&nbsp;which surged in popularity in 2017 by targeting consumers in China's lower-tier cities.

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Inc on Monday said sales for its annual Singles' Day shopping blitz hit 158.31 billion yuan (£17.69 billion) in its first nine hours, up 25% from 126.

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Inc on Monday said sales for its annual Singles' Day shopping blitz hit 158.31 billion yuan (£17.69 billion) in its first nine hours, up 25% from 126.72 billion yuan at the same point last year. Akin to Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the United States, Singles' Day has been promoted as a shopping fest by Alibaba Chairman and Chief Executive Daniel Zhang since 2009, growing rapidly to become the world's biggest online sales event. Also known as "Double Eleven", the festival's name originates from the calendar date November 11, with the four ones of 11/11 signifying being single. Alibaba netted sales worth $30 billion on its platforms on Singles' Day last year, dwarfing the $7.9 billion US online sales for Cyber Monday. Yet the 27 per cent sales growth was the lowest in the event's 10-year history, spurring a search for fresh ideas. Citic Securities, in a November 9 research note, forecast Singles Day sales to grow 20-25 per cent this year, held back partly by slowing overall e-commerce growth in China. The Chinese retail juggernaut, with a market value of $486 billion, kicked off this year's 24-hour shopping fest with performances by American pop star Taylor Swift and local celebrities such as Jackson Yee. Sales hit $1 billion in the first minute and eight seconds and reached 84 billion yuan in the first hour, up 22 per cent from last year's early haul of 69 billion yuan. Singles' Day was among the top trending topics on China's Twitter-like Weibo microblogging platform on Monday morning, with users discussing what they spent their money on. Alibaba has said it expects over 500 million users to participate in the shopping festival this year, about 100 million more than last year. This is the first time Alibaba's Singles' Day does not have flamboyant co-founder Jack Ma at its helm, after he resigned in September as chairman to "start a new life". It also comes at a crucial time for the company, which is looking to raise up to $15 billion via a share sale in Hong Kong this month. Alibaba continues to dominate the online shopping industry, but not without competition. In addition to longtime rival JD.com Inc, it also faces competition from Pinduoduo Inc, which surged in popularity in 2017 by targeting consumers in China's lower-tier cities.

Alibaba Singles' Day sales hit $1 billion in one minute & eight seconds

Oil prices on Monday clawed back some losses from a nearly 8-per cent plunge the previous session, but Brent failed to hold above $60 per barrel amid generally weak financial markets.

Front-month Brent crude oil futures had risen by 96 cents, or 1.6 per cent, to $59.76 per barrel by 0745 GMT.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up 62 cents, or 1.2 per cent, at $51.04 per barrel.

The gains partly made up for Friday's selloff, which traders have already dubbed 'Black Friday'.

Reacting to Friday's falls in Brent and WTI, China's Shanghai crude futures on Monday fell by 5 per cent, hitting their daily downside-limit.

Judging by exchange data, traders are preparing for more price falls.

Managed short positions in front-month WTI crude futures, which would profit from further price declines, have surged from record lows in July to the highest number of short positions since October 2017.

What's more, the number of puts - which give a trader the option though not obligation to sell a financial instrument at a certain price - in February Brent crude oil futures at $55 and $50 per barrel has surged to record levels since October.

The downward pressure comes from surging supply and a slowdown in demand growth which is expected to result in an oil supply overhang by next year.

"2019 will be a choppy year for the oil market as questions surrounding the prospect of a slowing global economy and a supply surplus are expected to increase," analysts at Fitch Solutions said on Monday.

Fitch said that even an expected supply cut led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) following an official meeting on December 6 "may not be enough to counteract the bearish forces".

WIDER DOWNTURN

Oil markets are also being affected by a downturn in wider financial markets.

"2018 clearly marked the end of the 10-year Asia credit bull market due to tightening financial conditions in Asia (especially China), and we expect this to remain the case in 2019," Morgan Stanley said in a note released on Sunday.

"We don't think that we are at the bottom of the cycle yet," the US bank said.

Oil markets have also been weighed down by a strong US-dollar, which has surged against most other currencies this year, thanks to rising interest rates that have pulled investor money out of other currencies and also assets like oil, which are seen as more risky than the greenback.

"Anything denominated against the USD is under pressure right now, said McKenna.

Another risk to global trade and overall economic growth is the trade war between the world's two biggest economies, the United States and China.

"The US-China trade conflict poses a downside risk as we forecast the US to impose 25 percent tariffs on all China imports by Q1 2019," US bank JP Morgan said in a note published on Friday. 
&nbsp;

Oil prices on Monday clawed back some losses from a nearly 8-per cent plunge the previous session, but Brent failed to hold above $60 per barrel amid generally weak financial markets.

Oil prices on Monday clawed back some losses from a nearly 8-per cent plunge the previous session, but Brent failed to hold above $60 per barrel amid generally weak financial markets. Front-month Brent crude oil futures had risen by 96 cents, or 1.6 per cent, to $59.76 per barrel by 0745 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up 62 cents, or 1.2 per cent, at $51.04 per barrel. The gains partly made up for Friday's selloff, which traders have already dubbed 'Black Friday'. Reacting to Friday's falls in Brent and WTI, China's Shanghai crude futures on Monday fell by 5 per cent, hitting their daily downside-limit. Judging by exchange data, traders are preparing for more price falls. Managed short positions in front-month WTI crude futures, which would profit from further price declines, have surged from record lows in July to the highest number of short positions since October 2017. What's more, the number of puts - which give a trader the option though not obligation to sell a financial instrument at a certain price - in February Brent crude oil futures at $55 and $50 per barrel has surged to record levels since October. The downward pressure comes from surging supply and a slowdown in demand growth which is expected to result in an oil supply overhang by next year. "2019 will be a choppy year for the oil market as questions surrounding the prospect of a slowing global economy and a supply surplus are expected to increase," analysts at Fitch Solutions said on Monday. Fitch said that even an expected supply cut led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) following an official meeting on December 6 "may not be enough to counteract the bearish forces". WIDER DOWNTURN Oil markets are also being affected by a downturn in wider financial markets. "2018 clearly marked the end of the 10-year Asia credit bull market due to tightening financial conditions in Asia (especially China), and we expect this to remain the case in 2019," Morgan Stanley said in a note released on Sunday. "We don't think that we are at the bottom of the cycle yet," the US bank said. Oil markets have also been weighed down by a strong US-dollar, which has surged against most other currencies this year, thanks to rising interest rates that have pulled investor money out of other currencies and also assets like oil, which are seen as more risky than the greenback. "Anything denominated against the USD is under pressure right now, said McKenna. Another risk to global trade and overall economic growth is the trade war between the world's two biggest economies, the United States and China. "The US-China trade conflict poses a downside risk as we forecast the US to impose 25 percent tariffs on all China imports by Q1 2019," US bank JP Morgan said in a note published on Friday.

Oil prices claw back some losses after 'Black Friday' plunge

A policeman appears to have shot and killed the wrong person in responding to a shooting in an Alabama shopping mall that left two others wounded, police said Saturday, correcting an earlier account of the Black Friday incident.

Police in Hoover, Alabama, originally said 21-year-old Emantic Fitzgerald Bradford pulled a gun and opened fire during a physical altercation in the Riverchase Galleria mall, wounding an 18-year-old man.&nbsp;

A 12-year-old girl was also wounded in the incident.

A uniformed Hoover police officer then shot Bradford dead as he ran from the scene brandishing a gun, police said.

"New evidence suggests that while Bradford may have been involved in some aspect of the altercation, he likely did not fire the rounds that injured the 18-year-old victim," Hoover police said in a statement.

"This information indicates that there is at least one gunman at large, who could be responsible for the shooting of the 18-year-old male and 12-year-old female." he said.

US media published photographs of Bradford, who was black.

There have been a series of fatal encounters in recent years between US police and African Americans, who formed the Black Lives Matter Movement in response.

The police officer involved has been put on administrative leave pending an investigation into the incident by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

A policeman appears to have shot and killed the wrong person in responding to a shooting in an Alabama shopping mall that left two others wounded, police said Saturday, correcting an earlier account of the Black Friday incident.

A policeman appears to have shot and killed the wrong person in responding to a shooting in an Alabama shopping mall that left two others wounded, police said Saturday, correcting an earlier account of the Black Friday incident. Police in Hoover, Alabama, originally said 21-year-old Emantic Fitzgerald Bradford pulled a gun and opened fire during a physical altercation in the Riverchase Galleria mall, wounding an 18-year-old man. A 12-year-old girl was also wounded in the incident. A uniformed Hoover police officer then shot Bradford dead as he ran from the scene brandishing a gun, police said. "New evidence suggests that while Bradford may have been involved in some aspect of the altercation, he likely did not fire the rounds that injured the 18-year-old victim," Hoover police said in a statement. "This information indicates that there is at least one gunman at large, who could be responsible for the shooting of the 18-year-old male and 12-year-old female." he said. US media published photographs of Bradford, who was black. There have been a series of fatal encounters in recent years between US police and African Americans, who formed the Black Lives Matter Movement in response. The police officer involved has been put on administrative leave pending an investigation into the incident by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

US: Police kill wrong man after responding to mall shooting

The e-commerce giant, Amazon on Wednesday said that the number of its customers' names and email address has been accidentally exposed due to a glitch on their site.

The issue has now been resolved, according to the mail sent to affected customers, but information regarding the exact number of people affected or what exactly the issue was is not been disclosed by the company.

"The issue has been fixed. This is not a result of anything you have done, and there is no need for you to change your password or take any other action," email sent to customers reads.

According to a report by AFP, Amazon has also said that there was no breach of any Amazon systems or its website, and passwords have been kept safe.

Amid the rising online privacy debates, Amazon's vague and not-so-specific email has sparked a criticism from users -- &nbsp;including cyber experts as they accused the company of withholding information.

Amazon customers in the US and Europe have reported receiving messages from the company.

The disclosure came on the cusp of the year-end holiday shopping season, with retailers online and in real-world shops offering "Black Friday" bargains pegged to the day after the Thanksgiving holiday in the US.

Amazon is the "undisputed e-commerce leader" in the US, with a 48 per cent share of online sales here this year expected to equate to some $252 billion, according to analysts at eMarketer.

The market tracker forecast that total e-commerce sales in the US would jump 16.6 per cent to $123.73 billion this holiday season as compared with the same period last year.

The e-commerce giant, Amazon on Wednesday said that the number of its customers' names and email address has been accidentally exposed due to a glitch on their site.

The e-commerce giant, Amazon on Wednesday said that the number of its customers' names and email address has been accidentally exposed due to a glitch on their site. The issue has now been resolved, according to the mail sent to affected customers, but information regarding the exact number of people affected or what exactly the issue was is not been disclosed by the company. "The issue has been fixed. This is not a result of anything you have done, and there is no need for you to change your password or take any other action," email sent to customers reads. According to a report by AFP, Amazon has also said that there was no breach of any Amazon systems or its website, and passwords have been kept safe. Amid the rising online privacy debates, Amazon's vague and not-so-specific email has sparked a criticism from users -- including cyber experts as they accused the company of withholding information. Amazon customers in the US and Europe have reported receiving messages from the company. The disclosure came on the cusp of the year-end holiday shopping season, with retailers online and in real-world shops offering "Black Friday" bargains pegged to the day after the Thanksgiving holiday in the US. Amazon is the "undisputed e-commerce leader" in the US, with a 48 per cent share of online sales here this year expected to equate to some $252 billion, according to analysts at eMarketer. The market tracker forecast that total e-commerce sales in the US would jump 16.6 per cent to $123.73 billion this holiday season as compared with the same period last year.

Amazon says some customer email addresses exposed

Cyber Monday was on track to become the biggest-ever internet shopping day in the United States as people snapped up bargains on toys and electronics, with many more buying from their phones.

The shopping event is expected to generate $6.6 billion in sales, up from $5.6 billion a year ago, according to Adobe Analytics, which measured 80 per cent of all online transactions from the top 100 US&nbsp;web retailers. As of 10:00 pm&nbsp;EST (03:00 GMT), revenue from smartphones was $1.12 billion.

The buying frenzy has gone on for the better part of a week. Amazon.com Inc said it broke sales records this weekend and was on pace to do so on Cyber Monday. Thanksgiving and Black Friday, during which shoppers spent $7.9 billion, according to Adobe, had also generated record online sales.

The world&#39;s biggest shopping event was China&#39;s Singles&#39; Day earlier this month, in which Alibaba Group Holding Ltd reported sales of $25.4 billion.

Online sales have brightened the overall outlook for traditional US&nbsp;retailers that have expanded beyond brick-and-mortar. However, the availability of deals and promotions for weeks hurt foot traffic at stores.

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The lengthening of the holiday shopping season has had another effect, too: many Cyber Monday promotions were run of the mill.

&quot;It&#39;s not as exciting as what the marketing makes it out to be,&quot; said Guru Hariharan, CEO of e-commerce software firm Boomerang Commerce, in Mountain View, California. &quot;The majority of these &#39;deals&#39; have been around since early November or late October.&quot;

Amazon came under criticism this year for marketing discounts off list prices it infrequently charges, so shoppers perceive their purchases to be bargains - an allegation it has denied.

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The lengthening of the holiday shopping season has had another effect, too: many Cyber Monday promotions were run of the mill (Reuters)
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According to an analysis by Boomerang Commerce, online retailers including Amazon were offering bigger savings for more of their most popular toys this year than last. Amazon said it sold 3 million toys halfway through Cyber Monday.

Top rival Wal-Mart Stores Inc is within striking distance of matching Amazon&#39;s online prices for the first time, a key milestone in its effort to regain the &quot;low price leader&quot; title, data gathered for Reuters show.

Amazon shares closed up 0.8 per cent, while Wal-Mart and Target Corp shares were about flat. JC&nbsp;Penney Company Inc closed up three&nbsp;per cent, and Macy&#39;s Inc closed up 0.7 per cent.

Online sales have brightened the overall outlook for traditional US?retailers that have expanded beyond brick-and-mortar

Cyber Monday was on track to become the biggest-ever internet shopping day in the United States as people snapped up bargains on toys and electronics, with many more buying from their phones. The shopping event is expected to generate $6.6 billion in sales, up from $5.6 billion a year ago, according to Adobe Analytics, which measured 80 per cent of all online transactions from the top 100 US web retailers. As of 10:00 pm EST (03:00 GMT), revenue from smartphones was $1.12 billion. The buying frenzy has gone on for the better part of a week. Amazon.com Inc said it broke sales records this weekend and was on pace to do so on Cyber Monday. Thanksgiving and Black Friday, during which shoppers spent $7.9 billion, according to Adobe, had also generated record online sales. The world's biggest shopping event was China's Singles' Day earlier this month, in which Alibaba Group Holding Ltd reported sales of $25.4 billion. Online sales have brightened the overall outlook for traditional US retailers that have expanded beyond brick-and-mortar. However, the availability of deals and promotions for weeks hurt foot traffic at stores. A worker uses a forklift to retrieve products stored inside of a large Amazon fulfillment center (Reuters) × The lengthening of the holiday shopping season has had another effect, too: many Cyber Monday promotions were run of the mill. "It's not as exciting as what the marketing makes it out to be," said Guru Hariharan, CEO of e-commerce software firm Boomerang Commerce, in Mountain View, California. "The majority of these 'deals' have been around since early November or late October." Amazon came under criticism this year for marketing discounts off list prices it infrequently charges, so shoppers perceive their purchases to be bargains - an allegation it has denied. The lengthening of the holiday shopping season has had another effect, too: many Cyber Monday promotions were run of the mill (Reuters) × According to an analysis by Boomerang Commerce, online retailers including Amazon were offering bigger savings for more of their most popular toys this year than last. Amazon said it sold 3 million toys halfway through Cyber Monday. Top rival Wal-Mart Stores Inc is within striking distance of matching Amazon's online prices for the first time, a key milestone in its effort to regain the "low price leader" title, data gathered for Reuters show. Amazon shares closed up 0.8 per cent, while Wal-Mart and Target Corp shares were about flat. JC Penney Company Inc closed up three per cent, and Macy's Inc closed up 0.7 per cent.

US Cyber Monday sales jump 17 per cent, on pace for record

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is now worth $100 billion, keeping his title of the world&rsquo;s richest man intact.&nbsp;

The Amazon founder&#39;s wealth was&nbsp;up $2.4 billion after his shares rose 2 per cent,&nbsp; thanks to Black Friday sales.

Online purchases also went up 18.4 per cent for the day, as compared to last year, according to reports by Adobe Analytics.&nbsp;

The mogul&#39;s fortune increased $32.6 billion this year with Amazon&#39;s value&nbsp;climbing 5 per cent&nbsp;this week itself, Bloomberg Billionaires Index reports.&nbsp;

Bezos owns 78.9 million shares of Amazon which are worth approximately $93.6 billion.

That however does not account for all his holdings, the two other high-profile companies he owns are the newspaper &#39;The Washington Post&#39; and space tourism company &#39;Blue Origin.&#39;

Bezos became the world&#39;s richest man (for a day) in July this year, overtaking Bill Gates.

He then moved back ahead of Gates in October.&nbsp;

In June this year, Bezos tweeted that he was looking for ideas on how to share his wealth to help people. &nbsp;

Amazon shares went up 2% this week due to Black Friday sales

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is now worth $100 billion, keeping his title of the world’s richest man intact. The Amazon founder's wealth was up $2.4 billion after his shares rose 2 per cent, thanks to Black Friday sales. Online purchases also went up 18.4 per cent for the day, as compared to last year, according to reports by Adobe Analytics. The mogul's fortune increased $32.6 billion this year with Amazon's value climbing 5 per cent this week itself, Bloomberg Billionaires Index reports. Bezos owns 78.9 million shares of Amazon which are worth approximately $93.6 billion. That however does not account for all his holdings, the two other high-profile companies he owns are the newspaper 'The Washington Post' and space tourism company 'Blue Origin.' Bezos became the world's richest man (for a day) in July this year, overtaking Bill Gates. He then moved back ahead of Gates in October. In June this year, Bezos tweeted that he was looking for ideas on how to share his wealth to help people.

World's richest man Jeff Bezos now worth $100 billion

Shopping paradise for people in the US has begun as Black Friday commences, leaving big retailers&nbsp;on-the-go 24X7 for the preparations.&nbsp;

Months of preparations and strategy have been invested to ensure stores to take as much of the retail pie as possible.

Even though sales of the Black Friday in the United States may not excite retailers as it used to,&nbsp;some 167 million people are expected to shop on the day in the United States, according to the National Retail Federation&rsquo;s annual survey.&nbsp;

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A big turnout could prompt a repeat of some of the frantic images of shoppers rushing into stores to get their hands on sale items.&nbsp; (Reuters)
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It is an important day for retailers because they get an idea of what the customers are interested in,&nbsp;they&#39;ve already made some big bets and there is no time to go back.&nbsp;

&quot;This is our Superbowl. This is the day. This is our busiest sales day of the entire year. This is what we have been gearing up for,&quot; said Bryan Groh, store manager of Kohl&#39;s as he prepares for the rush.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/black-friday-is-upon-us-time-to-get-your-wallets-out-24785">Black Friday is upon us, time to get your wallets out!</a>

Big retailers like &#39;Kohl&#39;s&#39;, &#39;Macy&#39;s&#39;, &#39;Target&#39;, &#39;Best Buy&#39;, &#39;Amazon&#39; etc. have been preparing for months. Hiring seasonal workers is the primary agenda - in order to meet demands as they rely on November and December for fourth-quarter profits, reports suggest.&nbsp;

&#39;Target&#39; has decided to increase their hourly wage from $10 to $11 dollars per hours for its 100,000 seasonal workers, followed by a hike in incomes of 323,000 regular employees.

Nationwide, businesses, including restaurants, plan to recruit 650,000 seasonal workers, reports stated.

With expectations to lure more customers in brick-and-mortar stores, &#39;Walmart&#39;, &#39;Best Buy&#39;, &#39;Target&#39; and other large retailers are thinking of innovative ideas. For example, some retailers are planning to charge similar prices, increasing competition with a possibility of creating price wars.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, other retailers are making sure that customers fail to find the desired products online, mostly on &#39;Amazon&#39;, leading to more store visits, reports say.&nbsp;

Some businesses are also trying to maximize on &ldquo;showrooming,&rdquo; where consumers go in store to physically touch and feel products and eventually purchase them online.

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Several large retailers, such as Best Buy, Toys R Us and Lowe&rsquo;s, are offering similar prices as Amazon to throw them off, intensifying competition. (Reuters)
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&#39;Target&#39; has also created the idea of adding a barcode to its products which are distinctive to their in-store products so that consumers are unable to purchase them&nbsp;online.&nbsp;

Other stores, such as &#39;TJ Maxx&#39;, have decided to create more store brands that can&rsquo;t be copied, tempting customers to check out the products in-store.&nbsp;

As the clash between online sales and brick-and-mortar intensifies, businesses will be better served by integrating their services.&nbsp;

Months of preparations and strategy have been invested to ensure stores to take as much of the retail pie as possible.

Shopping paradise for people in the US has begun as Black Friday commences, leaving big retailers on-the-go 24X7 for the preparations. Months of preparations and strategy have been invested to ensure stores to take as much of the retail pie as possible. Even though sales of the Black Friday in the United States may not excite retailers as it used to, some 167 million people are expected to shop on the day in the United States, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey. A big turnout could prompt a repeat of some of the frantic images of shoppers rushing into stores to get their hands on sale items. (Reuters) × It is an important day for retailers because they get an idea of what the customers are interested in, they've already made some big bets and there is no time to go back. "This is our Superbowl. This is the day. This is our busiest sales day of the entire year. This is what we have been gearing up for," said Bryan Groh, store manager of Kohl's as he prepares for the rush. Also Read: Black Friday is upon us, time to get your wallets out! Big retailers like 'Kohl's', 'Macy's', 'Target', 'Best Buy', 'Amazon' etc. have been preparing for months. Hiring seasonal workers is the primary agenda - in order to meet demands as they rely on November and December for fourth-quarter profits, reports suggest. 'Target' has decided to increase their hourly wage from $10 to $11 dollars per hours for its 100,000 seasonal workers, followed by a hike in incomes of 323,000 regular employees. Nationwide, businesses, including restaurants, plan to recruit 650,000 seasonal workers, reports stated. With expectations to lure more customers in brick-and-mortar stores, 'Walmart', 'Best Buy', 'Target' and other large retailers are thinking of innovative ideas. For example, some retailers are planning to charge similar prices, increasing competition with a possibility of creating price wars. Meanwhile, other retailers are making sure that customers fail to find the desired products online, mostly on 'Amazon', leading to more store visits, reports say. Some businesses are also trying to maximize on “showrooming,” where consumers go in store to physically touch and feel products and eventually purchase them online. Several large retailers, such as Best Buy, Toys R Us and Lowe’s, are offering similar prices as Amazon to throw them off, intensifying competition. (Reuters) × 'Target' has also created the idea of adding a barcode to its products which are distinctive to their in-store products so that consumers are unable to purchase them online. Other stores, such as 'TJ Maxx', have decided to create more store brands that can’t be copied, tempting customers to check out the products in-store. As the clash between online sales and brick-and-mortar intensifies, businesses will be better served by integrating their services.

Black Friday: Retailers prepare for the big day

London`s stock market fell on Friday, bucking an upwards trend elsewhere, as `Black Friday` price-slashing wooed customers but was expected to hurt the bottom line of Britain`s biggest retailers.

So-called Black Friday, the now-traditional day of steep discounts in the run-up to Christmas, failed to boost share prices of retailers partly owing to fierce competition from online giants like Amazon, dealers said.

The mood in London soured also on news that British consumer confidence, tracked by pollsters YouGov and researchers the Centre for Economics and Business Research, has slumped to the lowest level since just after last year`s shock Brexit referendum.

&quot;With sales rising at the expense of margins, there is a strong possibility that we will see retailers` profitability suffer despite rising revenues,&quot; Joshua Mahony, an analyst at IG trading group, said regarding the impact of Black Friday.

&quot;Unfortunately, while billions will be spent in the UK today, we have seen UK consumer confidence hit the lowest level since the EU referendum, paving the way for what could be a disappointing holiday season for retailers,&quot; he added.

In late morning deals, London`s FTSE index was down 0.3 per cent in value compared with Thursday`s close.

Shares in clothing retailer Next slid 1.39 per cent to 4,324 pence and rival Marks &amp; Spencer shed 0.2 per cent to 298.10 pence.

Britain`s biggest retailer, supermarket giant Tesco, dropped 0.13 per cent to 193.80 pence and peer Sainsbury`s lost 0.17 per cent to 228.40 pence.

Industry forecasts suggest UK shoppers will spend some &pound;7.8 billion ($10.3 billion, 8.8 billion euros) over the four-day period from Black Friday to so-called Cyber Monday - when online retailers deliver even more steep discounts.

&quot;Black Friday (data) will be analysed next week for evidence the consumer is alive and well,&quot; David Hussey, equities analyst at Manulife Asset Management,&quot; told AFP.

In the eurozone meanwhile, the Frankfurt and Paris stock markets gained ground, taking their cue from an Asian recovery.

Traders had no leads from Wall Street, which was shut on Thursday for the Thanksgiving public holiday, while many US investors will remain absent until after the weekend.

So-called Black Friday, the now-traditional day of steep discounts in the run-up to Christmas, failed to boost share prices of retailers partly owing to fierce competition from online giants like Amazon, dealers said

London`s stock market fell on Friday, bucking an upwards trend elsewhere, as `Black Friday` price-slashing wooed customers but was expected to hurt the bottom line of Britain`s biggest retailers. So-called Black Friday, the now-traditional day of steep discounts in the run-up to Christmas, failed to boost share prices of retailers partly owing to fierce competition from online giants like Amazon, dealers said. The mood in London soured also on news that British consumer confidence, tracked by pollsters YouGov and researchers the Centre for Economics and Business Research, has slumped to the lowest level since just after last year`s shock Brexit referendum. "With sales rising at the expense of margins, there is a strong possibility that we will see retailers` profitability suffer despite rising revenues," Joshua Mahony, an analyst at IG trading group, said regarding the impact of Black Friday. "Unfortunately, while billions will be spent in the UK today, we have seen UK consumer confidence hit the lowest level since the EU referendum, paving the way for what could be a disappointing holiday season for retailers," he added. In late morning deals, London`s FTSE index was down 0.3 per cent in value compared with Thursday`s close. Shares in clothing retailer Next slid 1.39 per cent to 4,324 pence and rival Marks & Spencer shed 0.2 per cent to 298.10 pence. Britain`s biggest retailer, supermarket giant Tesco, dropped 0.13 per cent to 193.80 pence and peer Sainsbury`s lost 0.17 per cent to 228.40 pence. Industry forecasts suggest UK shoppers will spend some £7.8 billion ($10.3 billion, 8.8 billion euros) over the four-day period from Black Friday to so-called Cyber Monday - when online retailers deliver even more steep discounts. "Black Friday (data) will be analysed next week for evidence the consumer is alive and well," David Hussey, equities analyst at Manulife Asset Management," told AFP. In the eurozone meanwhile, the Frankfurt and Paris stock markets gained ground, taking their cue from an Asian recovery. Traders had no leads from Wall Street, which was shut on Thursday for the Thanksgiving public holiday, while many US investors will remain absent until after the weekend.

'Black Friday' sales bonanza fails to boost London stock market

The holiday season for the United States does not end at Thanksgiving. &quot;Black Friday&quot;&nbsp;is celebrated on the day following the colourful, feast-centred occasion.&nbsp;

If you still have the energy from eating all that Thanksgiving dinner, you must be equally excited to now empty your wallets as &quot;Black Friday&quot;&nbsp;unleashes the season&#39;s sales.&nbsp;

It all started&nbsp;in 1939, when the retailers feared they would go bankrupt if Thanksgiving was to be celebrated on the last day of November, not giving people enough time to shop for Christmas and eventually leading to major losses.&nbsp;

This then led&nbsp;to the nations biggest retailers to persuade President Franklin D. Roosevelt to celebrate Thanksgiving&nbsp;one week before&nbsp;the last day of November, leading to the concrete pre-eminence of the post-Thanksgiving sales, known as &quot;Black Friday&quot;.&nbsp;

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Franklin D. Roosevelt (Others)
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People would usually call in sick from work on Thanksgiving Day&nbsp;to celebrate the four-day weekend, eventually marking it as a national holiday.&nbsp;

The day became a ritual and&nbsp;a family tradition also a big day for&nbsp;a shopping spree for everyone and big profits for the retailers. People would camp on the streets the night before just to bombard in the shops as soon as it&nbsp;opened.&nbsp;

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Representative Photo (Reuters)
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Being one of the busiest, it is one of the most important days for the economy as 30% annual sales occur between Black Friday and Christmas - nearly 40% discount for some retailers selling TVs, tablets, appliances, and jewellery. For some, it can make or break their fourth-quarter profits.&nbsp;

However, the greatest &quot;Black Friday&quot;&nbsp;sales are not actually on the day itself but weeks before leading up to it. Retailers like Amazon, Target, Walmart, Best Buy and many others slash prices to gain market share. The current average merchandise discount is 37.3%, according to Reuters.&nbsp;

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Representative Photo (Reuters)
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The competition each year gets fierce as online shopping becomes more and more popular in the US, requiring the sellers to come up with new ways to attract customers.

Wonder why the dip in &quot;Black Friday&quot;&nbsp;rush? It is because everything is now online!

Sales and traffic at US brick-and-mortar stores on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday have been declininig since 2015, as stores offered discounts well beyond the weekend and more customers shopped online.

Internet sales rose in the double digits on both days as around 108.5 million Americans&nbsp;shopped online over the long weekend, well above the 99.1 million who hit stores, in 2016. Therefore, the relentless race to hit the malls has stalled over the years.&nbsp;

According to Adobe, online shopping surpassed the $5 billion mark for Thanksgiving and Black Friday, in 2016, and rose to 17.3% to $7.23 billion on just Thanksgiving&nbsp;Day.&nbsp;

The total holiday season sales reached to $655.8 billion in 2016, and is expected to rise to $967.13 billion this year, according to The Balance.&nbsp;

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Representative Photo (Reuters)
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So, &quot;Black Friday&quot;&nbsp;is upon us, get going and purchase that TV, phone or&nbsp;a watch which you have been trying to put off for so long.&nbsp;

Being one of the busiest days, it is one of the most important days for the economy as 30% annual sales occur between Black Friday and Christmas - nearly 40% discount for some retailers selling TVs, tablets, appliances, and jewelry. For some, it can make or break their fourth-quarter profits.?

The holiday season for the United States does not end at Thanksgiving. "Black Friday" is celebrated on the day following the colourful, feast-centred occasion. If you still have the energy from eating all that Thanksgiving dinner, you must be equally excited to now empty your wallets as "Black Friday" unleashes the season's sales. It all started in 1939, when the retailers feared they would go bankrupt if Thanksgiving was to be celebrated on the last day of November, not giving people enough time to shop for Christmas and eventually leading to major losses. This then led to the nations biggest retailers to persuade President Franklin D. Roosevelt to celebrate Thanksgiving one week before the last day of November, leading to the concrete pre-eminence of the post-Thanksgiving sales, known as "Black Friday". Franklin D. Roosevelt (Others) × People would usually call in sick from work on Thanksgiving Day to celebrate the four-day weekend, eventually marking it as a national holiday. The day became a ritual and a family tradition also a big day for a shopping spree for everyone and big profits for the retailers. People would camp on the streets the night before just to bombard in the shops as soon as it opened. Representative Photo (Reuters) × Being one of the busiest, it is one of the most important days for the economy as 30% annual sales occur between Black Friday and Christmas - nearly 40% discount for some retailers selling TVs, tablets, appliances, and jewellery. For some, it can make or break their fourth-quarter profits. However, the greatest "Black Friday" sales are not actually on the day itself but weeks before leading up to it. Retailers like Amazon, Target, Walmart, Best Buy and many others slash prices to gain market share. The current average merchandise discount is 37.3%, according to Reuters. Representative Photo (Reuters) × The competition each year gets fierce as online shopping becomes more and more popular in the US, requiring the sellers to come up with new ways to attract customers. Wonder why the dip in "Black Friday" rush? It is because everything is now online! Sales and traffic at US brick-and-mortar stores on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday have been declininig since 2015, as stores offered discounts well beyond the weekend and more customers shopped online. Internet sales rose in the double digits on both days as around 108.5 million Americans shopped online over the long weekend, well above the 99.1 million who hit stores, in 2016. Therefore, the relentless race to hit the malls has stalled over the years. According to Adobe, online shopping surpassed the $5 billion mark for Thanksgiving and Black Friday, in 2016, and rose to 17.3% to $7.23 billion on just Thanksgiving Day. The total holiday season sales reached to $655.8 billion in 2016, and is expected to rise to $967.13 billion this year, according to The Balance. Representative Photo (Reuters) × So, "Black Friday" is upon us, get going and purchase that TV, phone or a watch which you have been trying to put off for so long.

Black Friday is upon us, time to get your wallets out!

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Zimbabwe's leaders should implement much-needed political reforms: US The US administration relieved at the smooth transfer of power after a week of turmoil called it an "extraordinary opportunity for Zimbabwe to set a new path." Youth Congress online magazine makes 'chai' jibe at PM Modi, gets slammed The official twitter handle of the Youth Congress's online magazine Yuva Desh made a 'chai' jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday and was slammed for it. Champions League: Ronaldo puts Real Madrid on top, Liverpool falter Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as holders Real Madrid thrashed APOEL 6-0 in Cyprus to reach the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday, while Liverpool blew a three-goal lead in a thriller at Sevilla. Uber reports data breach affecting 57 million accounts The incident happened during the tenure of Travis Kalanick- Uber's co-founder, who was the chief executive at the time of the breach. Gujarat elections: Ex-MP Kanjibhai Patel, son Sunil quit BJP Miffed over the ticket distribution, the father-son duo took the unexpected step on the last day of nomination for the first phase of elections.

WION morning news brief, November 22, 2017

Cyber Monday, the last Monday after the Thanksgiving season in the United States, looks as promising as ever this year with companies such as Dell and Walmart offering big discounts to woo customers online.&nbsp;

Dell accessories and Alienware gaming rigs are being sold at discounts of up to 50 per cent as early access to Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, a report in techspot.com stated.

Walmart said on its website it is offering good deals on appliances, cell phones, computers, furniture, home gyms, televisions and video games.

Cyber Monday bargains begin on Sunday, November 27.

Cyber Monday was a term coined by by marketing companies to persuade people to shop online.

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, falls on November 24 this year. It marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.

Dell accessories and Alienware gaming rigs are being sold at discounts of up to 50 per cent as early access to Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales

Cyber Monday, the last Monday after the Thanksgiving season in the United States, looks as promising as ever this year with companies such as Dell and Walmart offering big discounts to woo customers online. Dell accessories and Alienware gaming rigs are being sold at discounts of up to 50 per cent as early access to Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, a report in techspot.com stated. Walmart said on its website it is offering good deals on appliances, cell phones, computers, furniture, home gyms, televisions and video games. Cyber Monday bargains begin on Sunday, November 27. Cyber Monday was a term coined by by marketing companies to persuade people to shop online. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, falls on November 24 this year. It marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.

Cyber Monday: Dell, Walmart woo customers with big discounts

&quot;Black Friday&quot;, the day that falls on the fourth Friday of November, marks the beginning of Christmas shopping in the United States.&nbsp;

It comes after the Thanksgiving Day in the US.&nbsp;

It&nbsp;has been observed as the beginning of Christmas shopping season in the US since 1952.&nbsp;

During this time most retail stores remain open from early morning till&nbsp;late at night and offer promotional sales to attract potential buyers.&nbsp;

Retail stores offer most discounts on electronics.&nbsp;

While the retail stores are open and provide sales schemes, schools and non-retail employees have both Thanksgiving and the succeeding Friday as an &quot;off day&quot;.&nbsp;

This again adds to the number of buyers on &quot;Black Friday&#39;&#39;.&nbsp;The day has been the busiest shopping day of the year since 2005.&nbsp;

Several weeks before &#39;&#39;Black Friday&#39;&#39;, e-commerce giant Amazon opened its &#39;&#39;Black Friday&#39;&#39; store officially on November 1. The retail store encourages shoppers to sign up for &#39;&#39;Amazon Prime&#39;&#39; with&nbsp;additional benefits during this high voltage shopping extravaganza.

Competing with Amazon, Walmart offers their &#39;&#39;Pickup&#39;&#39; discount program. During this time shoppers can avail discounts on their online products if they ship their product to a Walmart store for a free pick up.

Black Friday, the day that falls on the fourth Friday of November, marks the beginning of Christmas shopping in the United States

"Black Friday", the day that falls on the fourth Friday of November, marks the beginning of Christmas shopping in the United States. It comes after the Thanksgiving Day in the US. It has been observed as the beginning of Christmas shopping season in the US since 1952. During this time most retail stores remain open from early morning till late at night and offer promotional sales to attract potential buyers. Retail stores offer most discounts on electronics. While the retail stores are open and provide sales schemes, schools and non-retail employees have both Thanksgiving and the succeeding Friday as an "off day". This again adds to the number of buyers on "Black Friday''. The day has been the busiest shopping day of the year since 2005. Several weeks before ''Black Friday'', e-commerce giant Amazon opened its ''Black Friday'' store officially on November 1. The retail store encourages shoppers to sign up for ''Amazon Prime'' with additional benefits during this high voltage shopping extravaganza. Competing with Amazon, Walmart offers their ''Pickup'' discount program. During this time shoppers can avail discounts on their online products if they ship their product to a Walmart store for a free pick up.

US gears up for 'Black Friday'

The American shopping fest known as Black Friday lured more buyers this year but they spent less per person thanks to great bargains, an industry group said Sunday.

More than 154 million people made purchases during the four-day retail extravaganza that began Thursday on Thanksgiving, compared to 151 million last year, the National Retail Federation said.

Shoppers spent an average of $289.19, compared to $299.60 in 2015.

Sales over the Thanksgiving holiday, which extends into so-called Cyber Monday, are a good indicator of the health of US consumer spending.

Online sales dominated. A total of 44 per cent of those who took part in the NRF survey said they had bought via the internet while 40 per cent went to a brick-and-mortar store.

&quot;It was a strong weekend for retailers, but an even better weekend for consumers, who took advantage of some really incredible deals,&quot; NRF president Matthew Shay said.

The most popular day to shop online was Black Friday itself, the day after the Thanksgiving holiday. Of those who purchased online over the four-day period, 74 per cent did so on Friday, up 1.3 per cent from last year.

And of the people who went to actual stores over this shopping period, 75 per cent did so on Black Friday, up 3.4 per cent from last year, the NRF said.

Millennials, aged 18-34, drove the increase in shopping, with eight out of ten buying something over the long weekend.

Around 56 per cent of smartphone owners and 53 per cent of tablet owners used these devices to assist with their shopping.

The study was carried out by Prosper Insights &amp; Analytics with a sample of 4,330 people on November 25-26 and has a margin of error of 1.5 percentage points.

(AFP)

More than 154 million people made purchases during the four-day retail extravaganza that began Thursday on Thanksgiving

The American shopping fest known as Black Friday lured more buyers this year but they spent less per person thanks to great bargains, an industry group said Sunday. More than 154 million people made purchases during the four-day retail extravaganza that began Thursday on Thanksgiving, compared to 151 million last year, the National Retail Federation said. Shoppers spent an average of $289.19, compared to $299.60 in 2015. Sales over the Thanksgiving holiday, which extends into so-called Cyber Monday, are a good indicator of the health of US consumer spending. Online sales dominated. A total of 44 per cent of those who took part in the NRF survey said they had bought via the internet while 40 per cent went to a brick-and-mortar store. "It was a strong weekend for retailers, but an even better weekend for consumers, who took advantage of some really incredible deals," NRF president Matthew Shay said. The most popular day to shop online was Black Friday itself, the day after the Thanksgiving holiday. Of those who purchased online over the four-day period, 74 per cent did so on Friday, up 1.3 per cent from last year. And of the people who went to actual stores over this shopping period, 75 per cent did so on Black Friday, up 3.4 per cent from last year, the NRF said. Millennials, aged 18-34, drove the increase in shopping, with eight out of ten buying something over the long weekend. Around 56 per cent of smartphone owners and 53 per cent of tablet owners used these devices to assist with their shopping. The study was carried out by Prosper Insights & Analytics with a sample of 4,330 people on November 25-26 and has a margin of error of 1.5 percentage points. (AFP)

US Black Friday: More shoppers this year but less spent per head

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