jili super ace gift code free
Sounding off: On Tomlin, on Trump, on taxes
Price-conscious holiday shoppers opened their wallets for last-minute online discounts on clothing and stocking stuffers, potentially benefiting retailers that also offered such convenient options as free delivery and curbside pickup. The popularity of online shopping has surged due to its convenience, similar or lower prices than in-store, the availability of services like “buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS)” and fast, free deliveries, said Michael Schulman, a retail expert at Running Point Capital Advisors. “The shortened holidays season this year compared to last year, with a tighter scrunch between Thanksgiving and Christmas, also left less time for in-store retail shopping and probably incentivized more phone and computer browsing and purchases,” he said. While there were deals aplenty, retailers appeared to have been disciplined with promotions. Target and Dollar Tree’s shares were up nearly 3% in noon trading, while Walmart was flat. According to a Mastercard SpendingPulse report, online spending during the holiday shopping period from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24 grew by 6.7% over last year, compared to a 2.9% increase for in-store sales. This contributed to a total spending increase of 3.8% over 2023, surpassing the previously forecast rise of 3.2% and topping the 3.1% increase during the same period last year. Steve Sadove, senior adviser to Mastercard and former Saks CEO and chairman, told Reuters that spending rose even when higher prices due to inflation were factored in. He noted that the last five days of the holiday season accounted for 10% of all holiday spending, showing “a lot of strength in the end.” With just 27 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas — five fewer than last year - retail executives were less exuberant going into the holiday season. They described their consumers as “selective,” “cautious” and “conservative,” and making “needs-based” purchases. As a result, many retailers doubled down on cutting prices and offering promotions, Bernstein analysts said earlier this month. Walmart said it would continue to bring down prices through rollbacks, while rival Target said it would increase its promotional intensity as shoppers were not as engaged without promotions. Dollar General said it expects profits to be pressured from increased promotions in the fourth quarter, while Kroger and Five Below also said they had to reduce prices to be competitive. Walmart and Target spent more on ads to reach shoppers on short-video app TikTok and streaming platforms like Peacock and Hulu during the season, highlighting their membership programs that offer quick delivery and BOPIS. Some of these efforts appear to have worked. Salesforce estimated that the number of BOPIS orders could double during the weekend before Christmas, making up nearly 40% of all online orders for retailers. And deliveries are also strong, with FedEx estimating stronger-than-expected holiday delivery volume last week. Huntsville, Alabama-resident Aireale Hobbs, 40, started Christmas shopping for pajama sets, Stanley drink tumblers, and toys for her family online on Black Friday. She said she chose to do a bulk of her shopping online because of convenience, more options and better deals. “I got some things from Target that were discounted when using the app,” said Hobbs, who works at as a front desk clerk at a doctor’s office. Laptops and TVs with new technology, lower prices and growing acceptance of lab-grown diamonds, and athleisure apparel also encouraged shoppers to spend this holiday season, even though promotions were at the same levels as last year, Sadove said. “Promotions were controlled. Nothing was extra deep and there were no panicked promotions. What we saw was some real consumer strength,” Sadove said, adding that low unemployment and higher wages were buffering personal finances. Sales in the apparel, jewelry and electronics categories were up 3.6%, 4% and 3.7%, respectively over last year, according to Mastercard. Online sales of apparel, in particular, grew 6.7%, compared to 0.2% in stores.
NEW DELHI: BJP on Tuesday launched a counter-offensive against Congress, with its chief ministers across the country highlighting instances where they claim Congress functionaries had "humiliated" B R Ambedkar. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath accused Congress of disrespecting Ambedkar, the architect of India's Constitution, both during his lifetime and posthumously. Addressing a press conference, he accused India's first PM, Jawaharlal Nehru, of opposing Ambedkar's inclusion in the Constitution Drafting Committee. He added Congress and SP shared a history of neglecting Dalits, although he avoided mentioning BSP, which had also protested Shah's comments. He contrasted BJP's efforts to honor Ambedkar with Congress's alleged disrespect, noting his party's initiatives like building memorials in significant places linked to Ambedkar's life. Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel pointed out Congress's refusal to award the Bharat Ratna to Ambedkar, while focusing on "one family's glorification". He criticised Congress for attacking home minister Amit Shah's comments out of context to fuel political drama. Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi said Nehru insulted Ambedkar and demanded that Congress apologise for their actions, particularly highlighting the first PM's opposition in elections against Ambedkar. Majhi also pointed out Congress's preference for Muslim quotas over those for SCs and STs, leading to Ambedkar's resignation from Nehru's cabinet. They collectively accused Congress of a long-standing pattern of undermining Ambedkar's legacy, using recent political debates as a platform to revisit these historical grievances. MP CM Mohan Yadav said Congress netas had circulated a doctored video of Shah to create a confusion about Ambedkar, which is another testimony to frustration within Congress. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , Location Guesser and Mini Crossword . Spread love this holiday season with these Christmas wishes , messages , and quotes .The slump in the number of people heading to the shops during Boxing Day sales signals a return to declining pre-pandemic levels, an analyst has said. Boxing Day shopper footfall was down 7.9% from last year across all UK retail destinations up until 5pm, MRI Software’s OnLocation Footfall Index found. However, this year’s data had been compared with an unusual spike in footfall as 2023 was the first “proper Christmas” period without Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, an analyst at the retail technology company said. It found £4.6 billion will be spent overall on the festive sales. Before the pandemic the number of Boxing Day shoppers on the streets had been declining year on year. The last uplift recorded by MRI was in 2015. Jenni Matthews, marketing and insights director at MRI Software, told the PA news agency: “We’ve got to bear in mind that (last year) was our first proper Christmas without any (Covid-19) restrictions or limitations. “Figures have come out that things have stabilised, we’re almost back to what we saw pre-pandemic.” There were year-on-year declines in footfall anywhere between 5% and 12% before Covid-19 restrictions, she said. MRI found 12% fewer people were out shopping on Boxing Day in 2019 than in 2018, and there were 3% fewer in 2018 than in 2017, Ms Matthews added. She said: “It’s the shift to online shopping, it’s the convenience, you’ve got the family days that take place on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.” People are also increasingly stocking-up before Christmas, Ms Matthews said, and MRI found an 18% increase in footfall at all UK retail destinations on Christmas Eve this year compared with 2023. Ms Matthews said: “We see the shops are full of people all the way up to Christmas Eve, so they’ve probably got a couple of good days of food, goodies, everything that they need, and they don’t really need to go out again until later on in that week. “We did see that big boost on Christmas Eve. It looks like shoppers may have concentrated much of their spending in that pre-Christmas rush.” Many online sales kicked off between December 23 and the night of Christmas Day and “a lot of people would have grabbed those bargains from the comfort of their own home”, she said. She added: “I feel like it’s becoming more and more common that people are grabbing the bargains pre-Christmas.” Footfall is expected to rise on December 27 as people emerge from family visits and shops re-open, including Next, Marks and Spencer and John Lewis that all shut for Boxing Day. It will also be payday for some as it is the last Friday of the month. A study by Barclays Consumer Spend had forecast that shoppers would spend £236 each on average in the Boxing Day sales this year, but that the majority of purchases would be made online. Nearly half of respondents said the cost-of-living crisis will affect their post-Christmas shopping but the forecast average spend is still £50 more per person than it was before the pandemic, with some of that figure because of inflation, Barclays said. Amid the financial pressures, many people are planning to buy practical, perishable and essential items such as food and kitchenware. A total of 65% of shoppers are expecting to spend the majority of their sales budget online. Last year, Barclays found 63.9% of Boxing Day retail purchases were made online. However, a quarter of respondents aim to spend mostly in store – an 11% rise compared with last year. Karen Johnson, head of retail at Barclays, said: “Despite the ongoing cost-of-living pressures, it is encouraging to hear that consumers will be actively participating in the post-Christmas sales. “This year, we’re likely to see a shift towards practicality and sustainability, with more shoppers looking to bag bargains on kitchen appliances and second-hand goods.” Consumers choose in-store shopping largely because they enjoy the social aspect and touching items before they buy, Barclays said, adding that high streets and shopping centres are the most popular destinations. We do not moderate comments, but we expect readers to adhere to certain rules in the interests of open and accountable debate. Last Updated: Are you sure you want to delete this comment?