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For the holiday season to date, nearly $20 billion has been spent online, marking a 15 percent increase from the corresponding days last year. The most recent week saw three individual days eclipse $1 billion in spending, led by Cyber Monday, which became the heaviest online spending day on record at $1.25 billion.

Company Reports Strong Sales and Increased Normalized Profit Growth Blyth, Inc. Published: Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011 - 5:10 am GREENWICH, Conn., Dec. 8, 2011 -- /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Blyth, Inc. (NYSE: BTH), a leading multi-channel designer and marketer of home fragrance and home decor, as well as health and wellness products, today reported that Net Sales for the third quarter ended October 31, 2011 increased approximately 33% to $220.2 million versus $165.4 million for the prior year period primarily due to significant year-over-year sales growth at ViSalus Sciences. International sales represented 40% of third quarter sales this year compared

PARIS — Gap Inc. announced the opening of its first Banana Republic store on Avenue des Champs Élysées in Pais, France. According to the company, the 15,952-sq.-ft. space will house the brand’s women’s and men’s collections and represents the most contemporary expression of the brand globally. “We are thrilled to open our first Banana Republic store in France – a brand-building flagship in Paris - and reach yet another important milestone for our international growth strategy,” said Stephen Sunnucks, president international for Gap Inc. “With a growing base of loyal customers across Europe, both in our stores and online,

Approximately 19 percent of footwear purchases occurred online in October and online footwear purchases are up 14 percent year-over-year, the 23rd month consecutive of double-digit growth. The online channel is increasingly influencing footwear shopper's decisions, leaving many footwear brands and retailers asking, "How do I best reach these shoppers online?"

The American Family Association has published a "Naughty or Nice" list to identify retailers that were "for" or "against" Christmas. The organization wants its members and those who support its cause to spend money with those retailers who are "for" Christmas.

An army of bargain hunters were out in force Black Friday weekend, while others are quietly scoping out the landscape in hopes of snagging last-minute sales, according to the latest America Research Group/UBS Holiday Retail Forecast.

India's government has suspended its plans to throw open its huge retail sector to foreign companies such as Wal-Mart, in a decision seen as a major capitulation to political opponents.The initial decision last month to allow foreign companies to own 51% of supermarkets in major cities and 100% of single-brand stores was hailed by the business community as a long overdue reform. The government said foreign retailers would bring better prices for farmers and lower prices for consumers by cutting out middlemen and upgrading the country's infrastructure. But opposition parties and even some members of the governing coalition protested

Ikea announced plans to install solar energy panels on 10 additional store locations, its entire presence in the southern United States. Pending governmental permits, installation will begin this winter, with completion expected in summer 2012.

New York City -- Netflix, Google and Amazon top a list of the 10 “simplest” U.S. brands, according to Siegel+Gale’s second annual Global Brand Simplicity Index. (Netflix was picked as the simplest brand in the survey after it announced price hikes but before the announcement of the formation of Qwikster, which was subsequently reversed. In the wake of these missteps, mass subscriber departures followed.) "This survey demonstrates that brands that put a premium on simpler and more transparent user experiences and interactions inspire confidence and generate customer loyalty,” said Howard Belk, Siegel+Gale co-CEO and chief creative officer. Also

Talbots will close 83 stores by the end of the year and a total of 110 stores by the end of 2013 as part of its cost reduction program. The program is intended to generate approximately $50 million in annualized cost savings by the end of fiscal 2012.