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☆ US Thanksgiving weekend sales hit record $38 bln on big discounts - report
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Deborah Mary Sophia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Shoppers crowd a Walmart store ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. November 27, 2019. Online consumer spending jumped 7.8% during Cyber Week, or the five days from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, according to data from Adobe Analytics, outstripping initial expectations for a 5.4% rise. But blockbuster deals rolled out from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday helped spread the holiday cheer for bargain-hunters. Sales on Cyber Monday jumped a better-than-expected 9.6% to a record $12.4 billion, as shoppers clicked "buy" on Hot Wheels toys, PlayStation 5, smart watches and kitchen appliances. Reuters GraphicsAdobe said discounts peaked at 31% for electronics and at 27% for toys on Cyber Monday, which is typically the biggest online shopping day in the U.S.

Persons: Kamil Krzaczynski, Vivek Pandya, trouncing, Klarna, Deborah Sophia, Juby Babu, Pooja Desai Organizations: Walmart, REUTERS, Adobe Analytics, Deloitte, Adobe Digital, Graphics Adobe, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Bengaluru

Meta announced the service for Facebook and Instagram last month. The ad-free service cost 9.99 euros ($10.90) monthly for Web users and 12.99 euros for iOS and Android users. Contrary to this law, Meta charges a 'privacy fee' of up to 250 euros per year if anyone dares to exercise their fundamental right to data protection," NOYB data protection lawyer Felix Mikolasch said in a statement. NOYB filed the complaint with the Austrian Data Protection Authority. The complaint will likely be forwarded to the Irish data protection watchdog which oversees Meta because it has its European headquarters in Ireland.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Meta, Max Schrems, Felix Mikolasch, NOYB, Foo Yun Chee, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Meta, Facebook, EU, Austrian Data Protection, Netflix, YouTube, Google, Thomson Locations: Rights BRUSSELS, Europe, Austrian, Europe's, Vienna, Ireland, Brussels

☆ How China's Shein became a fast-fashion giant
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A Shein logo is pictured at the company's office in the central business district of Singapore, October 18, 2022. REUTERS/Chen Lin/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 28 (Reuters) - China-founded fashion company Shein has confidentially filed to go public in the United States, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday. Shein says the approach has helped it consistently achieve average unsold inventory rates in the low single digits. At that valuation, Shein would still trail Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing's (9983.T) $80 billion valuation and Zara owner Inditex's (ITX.MC) $126 billion. Shein moved its headquarters to Singapore from Nanjing, capital of China's eastern Jiangsu province, around late 2021, a shift that analysts said helps the firm circumvent China's tough new rules on overseas listings.

Persons: Chen Lin, Shein, Chris Xu, PDD, Inditex's, Miyoung Kim, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, WHO, Shein, Walmart, Thomson Locations: Singapore, China, United States, Europe, Asia, U.S, Swedish, Zara, Nanjing, China's, Jiangsu

Nov 28 (Reuters) - Spending online on Cyber Monday is set to exceed $12 billion, a record, as bargain hunters snap up deals on items including Barbie dolls, Lego sets, headphones and smart watches, according to preliminary estimates from Adobe Digital Insights. The estimate projects U.S. shoppers will spend $12 billion-$12.4 billion on Cyber Monday, the biggest U.S. online shopping day. At the top end, this would represent an 9.7% increase compared to the $11.3 billion spent on Cyber Monday last year. Walmart, eager to capture market share, slashed prices on Sunday night, joining the trend of retailers' early discounts on major shopping days. On Monday, Walmart stepped up discounts on some clothing to 60%, up from the 50% it offered on Black Friday.

Persons: Barbie, Nancy Tengler, Eduardo Munoz, Matthew Katz, Charles Sizemore, Sizemore, Siddharth Cavale, Deborah Sophia, Aishwarya Venogupal, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, David Gregorio, Nick Zieminski, Matthew Lewis, Lincoln Organizations: Adobe Digital, Retailers, Adobe Analytics, Investments, Shoppers, Workers, REUTERS, SSA & Company, Walmart, Sizemore Capital Management, Target, Graphics, Insider Intelligence, Thomson Locations: Scottsdale , Arizona, United States, Robbinsville Township, New Jersey, U.S, New York, Bengaluru

☆ US Thanksgiving weekend sales hit record on big discounts, online boost
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Deborah Mary Sophia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

More than 200 million shoppers tapped into promotions both in-store and online during the Thanksgiving weekend, the National Retail Federation (NRF) said on Tuesday. That was a jump from the 196 million shoppers seen last year and trumped the trade association's estimates of 182 million. Online shoppers rose 3.1% to 134.2 million, making up for a slight dip in the number of customers who visited brick-and-mortar stores. The weekend saw about 121.4 million in-store shoppers, down from 122.7 million in 2022, according to the retail body. Adobe said discounts peaked at 31% for electronics and at 27% for toys on Cyber Monday, which is typically the biggest online shopping day in the U.S.

Persons: Kamil Krzaczynski, Matthew Shay, Vivek Pandya, trouncing, Klarna, Deborah Sophia, Juby Babu, Pooja Desai Organizations: Walmart, REUTERS, Adobe Analytics, Deloitte, National Retail Federation, Shoppers, Adobe Digital, Adobe, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Bengaluru

The logo of Indian food delivery company Zomato is seen on its app on a mobile phone displayed in front of its company website in this illustration picture taken July 14, 2021. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMUMBAI, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Chinese payments group Alipay plans to sell its 3.4% stake in Indian food delivery giant Zomato (ZOMT.NS) for nearly $400 million through block deals on Indian stock exchanges, according to three sources and a Reuters review of the deal's term sheet. Alipay, owned by Ant Group, will offload its entire 3.44% stake in the deal, the term sheet seen by Reuters showed. In October, Japan's SoftBank (9984.T) sold a 1.1% stake in Zomato, which is India's biggest food delivery service. In August, China's Antfin sold a 10.3% stake in Indian financial giant Paytm (PAYT.NS).

Persons: Florence Lo, Morgan Stanley, Alipay, Japan's SoftBank, China's Antfin, Sriram, Aditya Kalra, Susan Fenton Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Ant Group, Reuters, Bank of America, Tech, Thomson Locations: Rights MUMBAI, Zomato

☆ Cessna-maker Textron to cut 725 jobs as part of restructuring plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Cessna employee Dwight Bennett works inside of a jet during a tour of the Cessna business jet assembly line at their manufacturing plant in Wichita, Kansas August 14, 2012. REUTERS/Jeff Tuttle/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 28 (Reuters) - Business jet maker Textron (TXT.N) said on Tuesday it would cut 725 jobs as part of its restructuring plan in an attempt to reduce operating expenses, sending its shares up more than 2% after the bell. The restructuring, which is likely to be completed in the first half of 2024, is expected to save nearly $75 million annually, Textron said. Textron's plan would result in a pre-tax special charge of $115 million to $135 million in the fourth quarter. The parent of Cessna business jets said charges related to restructuring and impairment would not impact its full-year financial outlook.

Persons: Dwight Bennett, Jeff Tuttle, Goldman Sachs, Abhinav Parmar, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Cessna, REUTERS, Textron, Bell, Textron Systems, Major U.S, Amazon.com, Wall, Thomson Locations: Wichita , Kansas, Major, Bengaluru

Spending online on Cyber Monday is set to reach as much as $12.4 billion, according to Adobe Digital Insights, which tracks data through Adobe's Experience Cloud service for e-commerce platforms. Last-minute shoppers on Monday could spend $4 billion between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. EST alone, it said. Other firms use different measurements to gauge purchases on Cyber Monday, the biggest online shopping day of the year in the United States. Salesforce, which tracks data flowing through its Commerce Cloud e-commerce service, said online sales on Cyber Monday were up by 4% by 4 p.m. EST, hitting $7 billion by late afternoon. Walmart, eager to capture market share, slashed prices on Sunday night, joining the trend of retailers' early discounts on major shopping days.

Persons: Salesforce, Eduardo Munoz, Brian Yacktman, Charles Sizemore, Sizemore, Siddharth Cavale, Deborah Sophia, Aishwarya Venogupal, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, David Gregorio, Nick Zieminski, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Adobe Digital, Adobe, Commerce, Shoppers, Workers, REUTERS, YCG Investments, Nike, Black, Sizemore Capital Management, Walmart, Amazon, Graphics, Insider Intelligence, Thomson Locations: United States, Robbinsville Township, New Jersey, U.S, New York, Bengaluru

☆ Wall St pauses amid Cyber Monday madness; data, Fed speakers on tap
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 27, 2023. The tech-heavy Nasdaq was slightly higher, the Dow was edging red and the S&P 500 was essentially unchanged, but leaning lower. The S&P 500 Retail index (.SPXRT) was up 0.9%. Later in the week, market participants look to the Commerce Department's second take on third-quarter GDP expected on Wednesday, to be followed on Friday with its broad-ranging Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) report. The S&P 500 posted 34 new 52-week highs and no new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 78 new highs and 64 new lows.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Elliott, Dow, Greg Bassuk, Bassuk, Shopify, Stephen Culp, Shristi Achar, Shinjini Ganguli, Matthew Lewis Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Dow, Nasdaq, Adobe Analytics, AXS Investments, Federal Reserve, Financial, Commerce, Dow Jones, Walmart, Elliott Investment Management, GE HealthCare, NYSE, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, New York, Bengaluru

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 27, 2023. The rebound in equities in November has brought the S&P 500 (.SPX) close to its highest intra-day level this year. "We are headed for a mixed session today...maybe something like profit taking at the beginning and then just a leveling off."U.S. The S&P 500 retail sector (.SPXRT), housing Amazon, rose 0.5%. The S&P index recorded 7 new 52-week highs and no new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 34 new highs and 18 new lows.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Elliott, Peter Cardillo, Jerome Powell, advancers, Shristi Achar, Saumyadeb Chakrabarty Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Dow, Nasdaq, Federal Reserve, Spartan Capital Securities, Walmart, Reuters, Fed, Dow Jones, Crown, Elliott Investment Management, GE HealthCare, UBS, NYSE, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Deal-hunters fuel $12 billion Cyber Monday shopping spree
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz Acquire Licensing RightsNov 27 (Reuters) - After a busy holiday shopping weekend, discount seekers are expected to spend between a record $12 billion and $12.4 billion on beauty products, electronics, toys and apparel on Cyber Monday, according to Adobe Analytics. Heavy online traffic and transactions could add up to a boost in sales by U.S. shoppers of 5.4% or more, according to Adobe. Shoppers spent $10.3 billion in the weekend leading up to Cyber Monday, up 7.7% from last year as retailers offered more discounts compared to last year. More merchandise was being discounted in the weekend leading up to Cyber Monday, according to a report from LSEG. Walmart (WMT.N) , eager to capture market share, slashed prices on Sunday night, joining the trend of retailers' early discounts on major shopping days.

Persons: Eduardo Munoz, Vivek Pandya, Pandya, TJ Maxx, Jharonne Martis, LSEG, Rob Garf, Garf, Vanessa O'Connell, Deborah Sophia, Arriana, David Gregorio, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Workers, REUTERS, Adobe Analytics, U.S, Adobe, Shoppers, Adobe Digital, Walmart, Reuters, Costco, Commerce, Insider Intelligence, Thomson Locations: Robbinsville Township, New Jersey, U.S, Salesforce, Ross

☆ Wall St futures edge lower as investor await data, policy cues
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 27, 2023. Wall Street ended the Thanksgiving week on a positive note, with the major indexes notching up their fourth consecutive week of gains on growing optimism that the Federal Reserve was likely done hiking interest rates. ET, Dow e-minis were down 48 points, or 0.14%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 7 points, or 0.15%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 23.75 points, or 0.15%. The personal consumption expenditure index data for October - the Fed's preferred inflation gauge - is slated to be released on Thursday. Reporting by Shristi Achar A and Shashwat Chauhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb ChakrabartyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Axel Rudolph, Shristi Achar, Shashwat Chauhan, Saumyadeb Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Dow, Nasdaq, Federal Reserve, Dow e, IG Group, Walmart, Crown, Elliott Investment Management, Reuters, GE HealthCare, UBS, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Price-sensitive US shoppers nab early 'Cyber Monday' deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Workers select and pack items during Cyber Monday at the Amazon fulfilment center in Robbinsville Township in New Jersey, U.S., November 28, 2022. Heavy online traffic and transactions could add up to a record $12 billion outlay by U.S. shoppers on Cyber Monday, according to Adobe Analytics. "You have consumers out there who are very price-sensitive and conscientious, and who want to make sure they get the very best possible deal." Walmart (WMT.N) , eager to capture market share, slashed prices on Sunday night, joining the trend of retailers' early discounts on major shopping days. Last-minute shoppers on Monday could spend $4 billion between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m.

Persons: Eduardo Munoz, Vivek Pandya, Pandya, Rob Garf, Garf, Vanessa O'Connell, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Workers, REUTERS, Adobe Analytics, Adobe Digital, Walmart, Adobe, Commerce, Thomson Locations: Robbinsville Township, New Jersey, U.S, Salesforce

Nov 27 (Reuters) - Activist investor Elliott Investment Management on Monday said it was ready to nominate directors at Crown Castle International and push for the ouster of the wireless tower owner's executives and board members, whom it blames for years of underperformance. The hedge fund in a letter released on Monday said the company needs "comprehensive leadership change." It said it was ready to appeal to other shareholders to make changes to the 12-member board, signaling a possible proxy fight next year. Elliott sharply criticized management and the board saying a "lack of oversight ... contributed to its irresponsible stewardship and flawed financial policy." The hedge fund said the company "disregarded our data-driven analysis" and added that "our recommended changes were neither made nor taken seriously."

Persons: Elliott, Jesse Cohn, Jason Genrich, Jay Brown, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Pooja Desai, Mark Porter Organizations: Investment Management, Crown Castle International, SBA Communications, Intelligence, Svea, Thomson Locations: Houston, Providence, Bengaluru

Toys, games and hobby gear are on track to be less expensive this holiday season for the first time since 2020, while sporting goods prices are down this holiday for the first time since 2018, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)showed. To be sure, prices overall are higher in 2023 despite slowed price growth, with October's consumer price index climbing to 3.2% year-over-year. The figure remained flat on a month-over-month basis, signaling some holiday item prices may be slow to come down. Despite a dip in sporting goods prices, they continue to pace above 2019 levels. Walmart WMT.N said prices of general merchandise - clothing, electronics, furniture - had declined by low to mid-single-digit percentages versus last year, enabling the retailer to cut prices this holiday season.

Persons: Theresa Forsberg, Jill Lizzo, Barbie, Walmart WMT.N, it's, ”, Christina Hennington, Vincent Alban, Jessica Ramirez, Jane Hali, Jeffrey Roach, Macy's, Kevin Simpson, Simpson, Siddharth Cavale, Amina Niasse, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Walmart, Reuters Graphics Reuters, REUTERS, Associates, LPL, Dick's Sporting, Reuters, Wealth, Target, Home Depot, Wayback Machine, Thomson Locations: New Milford , Connecticut, New York's Harlem, Chicago , Illinois, U.S, New York

While the S&P 500 index (.SPX) ended little changed, the Amplify Online Retail ETF climbed 0.4% and the broader SPDR S&P Retail ETF gained about 0.7%. The SPDR S&P Retail ETF, which has net assets of $396.6 million, recorded weekly outflows of $115.6 in the week ended on Wednesday, according to data from Lipper. Still, the bulk of 2023 returns for investors in U.S. retail ETFs have come in recent weeks. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH.O) has generated half of its 12.8% year-to-date gains in the last two months. But Thomas Hayes, chair at Great Hill Capital LLC in New York, anticipates better-than-expected gains in retail stocks this holiday season.

Persons: Vincent Alban Acquire, Michael Ashley Schulman, Schulman, Thomas Hayes, Suzanne McGee, Lananh Nguyen, Josie Kao Organizations: Woodbury, REUTERS, Exchange, P Retail, Retailers, National Retail Federation, Walmart, United Auto Workers, Hollywood SAG, Running, Retail, Great, Capital, Thomson Locations: Central Valley , New York, U.S, New York

Brokerage TD Cowen lowered its U.S. holiday spending estimate to 2% to 3% growth, from 4% to 5%, as it forecast flat Black Friday traffic. With many consumers squeezed by persistent inflation and high interest rates, U.S. holiday spending is expected to rise at the slowest pace in five years. A record 130.7 million people are expected to shop in stores and online in the U.S. on Black Friday this year, the National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates. In France, Italy, and Spain, most shoppers planned to buy clothing on Black Friday, with electronic goods coming second, according to a PwC survey. Thanksgiving Day discounts online peaked at about 28% for toys, while electronics had discounts as steep as 27%, Adobe said.

Persons: Shannon Stapleton, Cowen, Theresa Forsberg, “ It’s, ”, Jill Lizzo, she’s, “, I’m, Lizzo, PwC, hasn’t, Naomi Ojomo, Jeff Gennette, Barbie, John Roberts, Apple AirPods, Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom, Oscar de, Katherine Masters, Arriana McLymore, Helen Reid, Mimosa Spencer, Corina Pons, James Davey, Siddharth Cavale, Arriana, Deboarh Sophia, David Gaffen, Miral Fahmy, Nick Zieminski, Frances Kerry Organizations: Black, REUTERS, Shoppers, National Retail Federation, Insider Intelligence, Barclays, Macy's, Adobe Analytics, Adobe, Walmart, Argos, PlayStation, Apple, Thomson Locations: Westbury , New York, U.S, RALEIGH, N.C, New Milford , Connecticut, . U.S, Harlem, Manhattan, France, Italy, Spain, Zara, Canary Wharf, London, British, Paris, Madrid, New York, Raleigh , North Carolina, Bengaluru

A child looks at toys in a Target store ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday and traditional Black Friday sales in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. November 21, 2023. Toys, games and hobby gear are on track to be less expensive this holiday season for the first time since 2020, while sporting goods prices are down this holiday for the first time since 2018, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)showed. Walmart WMT.N said prices of general merchandise - clothing, electronics, furniture - had declined by low to mid-single-digit percentages versus last year, enabling the retailer to cut prices this holiday season. Black Friday discounts are 30% to 50% at major retailers and could go deeper later in the season. "You're going to see margin compression and potentially lower sales," said Simpson, whose firm holds shares in Walmart and Home Depot.

Persons: Vincent Alban, Barbie, Walmart WMT.N, it's, ”, Christina Hennington, Jessica Ramirez, Jane Hali, Jeffrey Roach, Kevin Simpson, Simpson, Siddharth Cavale, Amina Niasse, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Walmart, Associates, LPL, Wayback Machine, Dick's Sporting, Reuters, Wealth, Target, Home Depot, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Macy's, New York

WILL SHOPPERS FIND BLACK FRIDAY DEALS THIS YEAR? HOW MUCH ARE SHOPPERS EXPECTED TO SPEND? Spending online during Black Friday is expected to rise 5.7% to roughly $9.6 billion, according to Adobe. WHAT ARE RETAILERS DOING TO ATTRACT HOLIDAY SHOPPERS? Macy's CEO Jeff Gennette on Thursday said the competitive landscape has shifted to Black Friday deals prior to Black Friday.

Persons: Marcus Collins, Collins, Jane Hali, Max, Lancome mascaras, Bobbi Brown concealers, Dana Telsey, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, David Bujnicki, Kimco, Jeff Gennette, Mattel, Steve Totzke, Juveria Tabassum, Savyata Mishra, Richa Naidu, Helen Reid, Herbert Lash, Josie Kao Organizations: Retailers, Department, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Dollar, Walmart, Associates, Nordstrom, Adobe Analytics, Electronics, Mastercard, National Retail Federation, Telsey Advisory, Sensormatic Solutions, U.S, Black, REUTERS, Adobe, Labor, Kimco Realty Corp, Consumers, Deloitte, Reuters, Thomson Locations: U.S, Europe, Philadelphia, China, United States, Caracas, Venezuela, Panama, Israel, Sixth, Washington, Germany, India, Spain, United Kingdom, Bengaluru, London

☆ Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway exits India's Paytm in $165 million deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBENGALURU, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Billionaire Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRKa.N) has exited India's Paytm (PAYT.NS) after selling its entire stake in the company for about 13.71 billion rupees ($164.70 million) through a bulk deal on Friday. Berkshire Hathaway's BH International Holdings has sold more than 15.6 million shares of the digital payments firm, with a weighted average price of 877.29 rupees per share, exchange data showed. Who the buyers of the Paytm shares are is not known. Paytm did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for additional details, while Berkshire was not available for comment. As of September 2023, BH International Holdings had a 2.46% stake in the company, as per exchange data.

Persons: Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, Paytm, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Hritam Mukherjee, Sonia Cheema, Pooja Desai Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, ., Holdings, BH International Holdings, SoftBank, HK, Ant, Thomson Locations: Kolkata, India, . Berkshire, Berkshire, Bengaluru

☆ Retailers hope to draw picky Black Friday shoppers to stores
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Katherine Masters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Originally known for crowds lining up at big-box stores in the U.S., Black Friday has moved online and gone global. In France, Italy, and Spain, most shoppers planned to buy clothing on Black Friday, with electronic goods coming second, according to a PwC survey. On average, shoppers in France expected to spend 295 euros ($322) on Black Friday, the survey found. Most U.S. stores were closed on Thanksgiving but opened to shoppers at 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. on Friday. In post-earnings calls this week, retailers from Kohl's (KSS.N) to Nordstrom (JWN.N) told investors they had invested in jackets, cashmere sweaters and Ugg boots to lure Christmas shoppers after an unseasonably warm October.

Persons: Shannon Stapleton, Jessica Ramirez, Jane Hali, Jeff Gennette, Mari Shor, Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom, Oscar de, ” Nordstrom, Pete Nordstrom, Katie Wyle, Katherine Masters, Mimosa Spencer, Helen Reid, James Davey, Josie Kao, Miral Fahmy, Frances Kerry Organizations: Black, REUTERS, Retailers, Associates, National Retail Federation, Insider Intelligence, Barclays, Macy's, The New York Police, Nordstrom, Walmart, Columbia Threadneedle Investments, Westfield, Thomson Locations: Westbury , New York, U.S, Europe, France, Italy, Spain, Amazon, Israel, New York City, Kohl's, Mall, Britain, Westfield, Paris, London

Brokerage TD Cowen lowered its U.S. holiday spending estimate to 2% to 3% growth, from 4% to 5%, as it forecast flat Black Friday traffic. With many consumers squeezed by persistent inflation and high interest rates, U.S. holiday spending is expected to rise at the slowest pace in five years. But at 6 a.m. on Friday at a Walmart in New Milford, Connecticut, the parking lot was only half full. "It's a lot quieter this year, a lot quieter," said shopper Theresa Forsberg, who visits the same five stores with her family at dawn every Black Friday. The rise of online shopping has reduced the importance of Black Friday as a single-day event.

Persons: Cowen, David Klink, ”, Barbara Kahn, Theresa Forsberg, Michael Brown, Kearney, Jimmy Lee, Leah Millis, there's, Jeff Gennette, Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom, Oscar de, Carlos Araejo, Ruiz, It’s, Paul Aheren, Puma, Siddharth Cavale, Helen Reid, Arriana McLymore, Katherine Masters, Andrew Hay, Bianca Flowers, Danielle Broadway, James Davey, Deborah Sophia, Miral Fahmy, Nick Zieminski, Frances Kerry, Leslie Adler Organizations: Shoppers, Huntington Private Bank, Walmart, Target, Ross Stores, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, “, National Retail Federation, Garden, Insider Intelligence, Adobe Analytics, Adobe, Wealth Consulting, Amazon, REUTERS, Nordstrom, Saks, Protesters, Puma, Israel Football Association, Thomson Locations: RALEIGH, N.C, U.S, New Milford , Connecticut, Paramus , New Jersey, Wheaton, Glenmont , Maryland, Indianapolis, Israel, Palestine, United States, Dallas, Raleigh, Crabtree, Boston

Defence Minister Yasar Guler said last week that Turkey was in talks with Britain and Spain to buy Eurofighter Typhoon jets, though Germany objected to the idea. Guler was holding talks on the issue with his British counterpart Grant Shapps in Ankara on Thursday, the source said. Turkey wants to buy the most advanced, newly built version of the Eurofighter, he added. NATO member Turkey requested in October 2021 to buy 40 Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) F-16 fighters and 79 modernisation kits for its existing warplanes. The Eurofighter Typhoon jets are built by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain, represented by Airbus (AIR.PA), BAE Systems (BAES.L) and Leonardo (LDOF.MI).

Persons: Yasar Guler, Guler, Grant Shapps, Joe Biden's, Leonardo, Tayfun Ozberk, Serhat, Huseyin Hayatsever, Jonathan Spicer, William Maclean Organizations: Eurofighter, . Defence, Eurofighter Typhoon, British, NATO, Turkey, Lockheed Martin Corp, U.S . Congress, Airbus, BAE Systems, Biden Administration, Eurofighter Typhoons, Kadir Has University, Turkish Air Force, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Turkey, United States, Turkish, Britain, Spain, Germany, Ankara, Italy

☆ Wall St gains before holiday, investors optimistic Fed done raising rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Caroline Valetkevitch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., November 15, 2023. Among the day's economic data, the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week. Still, stocks have risen sharply in recent weeks on the view that Fed is done hiking rates. She said stocks tend to rise just before the Thanksgiving holiday and also to rally heading into year-end. The S&P 500 posted 45 new 52-week highs and one new low; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 80 new highs and 89 new lows.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Quincy Krosby, Caterpillar, decliners, Amruta Khandekar, Maju Samuel, Pooja Desai, Richard Chang Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Deere, Dow, Nasdaq, Financial, U.S, Dow Jones, Wall, Deere & Co, NYSE, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, China, Charlotte , North Carolina

It ships the goods to FedEx returns centers, where they are sorted by merchant. Consolidating returns can lower transportation costs as much as 20%, said Amena Ali, CEO of returns services provider Optoro. Meanwhile, rival UPS is buying Happy Returns to beef up its e-commerce returns business that has grown 25% since 2020. Roughly 5,200 UPS Store locations will join Happy Returns' established drop-off points, making the service available at more than 12,000 U.S. locations, UPS said. FedEx accepts no label, no box returns at 10,000 U.S. locations including FedEx Office, FedEx Express Ship Centers, and Walgreens (WBA.O).

Persons: Bing Guan, Ryan Kelly, FedEx's, Kelly, Amena Ali, Lisa Baertlein, Will Dunham Organizations: FedEx, Los Angeles International Airport, REUTERS, United Parcel Service, Walmart, Reuters, Optoro, UPS, FedEx Office, FedEx Express Ship Centers, Walgreens, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Los Angeles

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