Cyber Monday

Despite Strong December Sales, a Mixed Holiday Season for Retail

The retail industry is reporting some much-needed good news in the form of stronger-than-expected December sales figures. But those numbers seem to have come as a result of desperate last-minute discounting, suggesting reduced profit margins and an increasingly hard-to-please American shopper.

The 4 Rules of Regifting: Etiquette Guru Explains When It's OK

Regifting: Lots of us do it, and many of us feel a bit guilty about it, even though polls show people are generally OK with receiving regifts. But does regifting really pass the holiday season etiquette test? We asked Jodi R.R. Smith of etiquette consultancy Mannersmith.

Free Smartphone With That Suit? The Best Deals This Weekend

This weekend represents something of a lull in the holiday season. Black Friday is behind us, and any lingering Cyber Week sales are wrapping up. The remaining big shopping days won't come until later in December. Still, there are deals to be found this weekend. Here are a few.

Holiday Shopping Calendar: Your List of the Best Days to Buy

Black Friday has been around for decades, but in the last several years, the holiday shopping season has gained a number of additional "special" shopping days. So if you're looking for the right days for deals, (or when to avoid the crowds) here's a run-down of all the retail deal days worth knowing.

Five Big Surprises from Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the two most heavily hyped shopping days of the season, are behind us: Online retail sales were fantastic, and Amazon and Walmart had nice weekends. But anyone could have predicted that. Here are a few results of the big shopping weekend you probably didn't see coming.

The Christmas Shopping Battle: Early Winners and Losers

The battle for your holiday spending dollars is well under way, and it's not too soon to start handicapping 2012's likely winners. Some may be obvious (like Amazon), but others may surprise you. Here's how the holiday shopping season is shaking out across the retail landscape.

Last-Minute Cyber Monday Deals: Experts Pick the Day's Best Offers

The clock is running down on Cyber Monday, and there are so many deals available, it's easy to get so overwhelmed you miss the good ones. Let us help: We checked in with the experts at the top deal-hunting sites and asked for the absolute best buys they'd found. Here are their picks.

Get Free Shipping on Cyber Monday, and the Other Days, Too

Today is Cyber Monday, when retailers offer tons of great deals online. Just one problem: Mostly, they'll mean having your purchases shipped, and customers hate shipping costs more than any other part of e-commerce. Here are the best ways to dodge those pesky shipping fees.

How to Get the Best Deals on Cyber Monday

On Cyber Monday, U.S. consumers are expected to empty their wallets of more than $1 billion, Merchants are offering some of their best deals, and it's time to take advantage. Here are a few strategies that should help you land the lowest prices.

5 Things You Shouldn't Buy on Black Friday

According to the National Retail Federation, 147 million Americans plan to shop on Black Friday weekend, because that's when they'll get the best deals. But that's just not always so. For these five types of purchase, you'd be better off skipping the post-Thanksgiving stampede.

Wall Street Watch: Waiting for All Week for Black Friday Numbers

Investors know that it will be a week of heavy eating and light trading. The market is closed on Thanksgiving, and will close early on Friday. However, it won't be a light week for retail, so the Black Friday and Cyber Monday results will be top of mind for the market-minded.

Is Cyber Monday Obsolete?

It was only seven years ago that some clever folks at Shop.org decided to promote e-commerce with its own version of Black Friday, and Cyber Monday was born. But in our smartphone- and tablet-powered world, holiday shopping is getting more "cyber" every year. Does online retail still need its special day?

The Year's Worst of the Worst in Online Merchants

The whole concept of online commerce hinges on convenience, particularly during the frantic holiday shopping season. Unfortunately, some well-known Web merchants left consumers seriously dissatisfied in the past year.

US Online Holiday Shopping Climbs 15% to $30.9 Billion

U.S. shoppers spent 15 percent more in online holiday buying compared to last year, after what may have been the busiest week of the season, said research firm comScore on Sunday. Shoppers have spent $30.9 billion online from Nov. 1 through Dec. 16, up from $26.9 billion at the same point last year, said the Reston, Va., company, which tracks Web use.

Green Monday a Boon For Online Shopping

Watch out, Cyber Monday: Green Monday is gaining traction with shoppers. Consumers flexed their thumb-shopping muscles on Dec. 12, Green Monday -- the second Monday in December that's become another big day for online holiday shopping.

3 Holiday Predictions You Can Invest On

It's going to be another interesting holiday shopping season as retailers jockey for position for the seasonal spending sprees. Where will buyers go? What will they buy? Let me go out on a limb and predict a few things.

Online Shopping Problem? Please Hold for a Human

Millions of holiday shoppers aiming to avoid the crowds are headed online. But not all retailers do e-commerce with ease -- especially if you have questions and need help from a customer service representative. Which chains respond fast -- and which don't? We have the answers.

Holiday Shopping Alert: The Best Deals Are Ahead

Attention holiday shoppers: Don't feel blue if you missed Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Retail analysts say the best deals are yet to come, with discounts growing deeper as Christmas draws nearer.

5 Things to Watch: From Dollars to Doughnuts

There's never a dull moment on Wall Street, especially with the holiday season under way. Among the items that will shape this week: Cyber Monday, Nook Tablets falling and doughnuts rising, digital tunes playing and retailers facing the music.

Cyber Monday: A Big Deal at Real World Stores Too

For great deals on Cyber Monday, turn off the computer and go bargain-hunting in brick-and-mortar stores. Between retailers desperate to compete and websites starting sales earlier, e-commerece's big day is losing its online luster.

7 Doorbuster-Free Ways to Save Big on Black Friday

Black Friday, the Super Bowl of the holiday shopping season, is upon us. Deal pros cut through the barrage of bargain-hunting tips with a pared down -- and doorbuster-free -- list of simple ways to save during the shopping blitz.

Will Target Repeat Missoni Fiasco on Black Friday?

Anyone who lined up outside their local Target early one Tuesday morning this past September to score some Missoni -- and witnessed the retail carnage that ensued -- will be well prepared for Black Friday. Target, on the other hand, may not be as ready -- especially when it comes to its website.

Black Friday Is Losing Its Luster As a Shopping Event

Here's the scoop on the holiday shopping season: Fewer people will camp out in front of stores before Black Friday this year in hopes of scoring hot deals on the "it" gifts. Instead, they'll use smart phones and tablets to comparison shop for the best prices, according to Accenture's latest survey.

Target Gets an Early Jump on Cyber Monday

Target is getting a head start on the biggest online shopping day of the year. The cheap-chic discounter sent out an email blast on Sept. 26 touting "Cyber Monday in September." "Lucky You. These Cyber Monday deals couldn't wait until November. Better hurry," coos Target.com.

Best 'Cyber Monday' Ever Helps Boost November Retail Sales

Retailers saw their sales figures jump in November with a strong Black Friday and a record-breaking Cyber Monday. The news could suggest this holiday season will be better than the last two, but could also mean that consumers have finished their shopping early.