Do Black Friday sales signal a strong holiday season ahead?

Retailers question whether these trends suggest a continued growth in sales for the holiday season.

Hello from the Retailist team! We’re now fully in the midst of the bustling holiday season. What lies ahead? The world of e-commerce, retail, and Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) brands is buzzing with activity, gearing up for the peak of the holiday rush. Our team is at the forefront, eager to bring you the latest and most impactful news from these dynamic sectors.

In this edition, we've curated a selection of the past week's most pivotal news, emerging trends, and insightful analyses from the retail landscape. Let's dive into this week’s top headlines.

New from Retailist

With the holidays fast approaching, new research from Miconex shows that the majority of Americans are keen to support local retailers. 24% will be spending up to $1,000 during the holidays, and 78% worry about finding the perfect gift.

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In the News: This week’s top headlines

Lawmakers ramp up scrutiny of Shein after the fast fashion retailer files for IPO. Concerns are growing over Shein's labor practices and environmental impact, prompting calls for further investigation. [CNBC]

U.S. retailers are adopting “keep it” return policies in increasing numbers. Amid the post-Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping rush, an increasing number of U.S. retailers are implementing 'returnless' or 'keep it' policies for certain online purchases. This strategy is being adopted for items where the cost of return shipping surpasses the product's value. [Reuters]

Walmart announces that hiring has returned to “normal,” but cautious consumers are still a concern. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon recently discussed the significant changes in the company's hiring and employee retention strategies post-pandemic. He highlighted that the employment market has largely stabilized, leading to a more 'normalized' hiring process. However, this transition occurs amidst growing consumer caution, which remains a point of concern for the retail giant. [Benzinga]

Do Black Friday sales signal a strong holiday season ahead? Black Friday weekend witnessed a performance exceeding expectations. Boosted by online sales and a higher volume of promotions compared to the previous year, this period saw significant consumer engagement. Retailers question whether these trends suggest a continued growth in sales for the holiday season. [RetailWire]

Dollar General’s returning CEO unveils turnaround plan amid controversy and sales slump. Dollar General's returning CEO, Todd Vasos, has announced a comprehensive strategy to revitalize the company's performance in response to slowing sales and a declining stock price. Key elements of this turnaround plan include increasing staff presence at the front of stores, decelerating the pace of new store openings, and enhancing efforts to maintain adequate stock levels. [CNBC]

Starbucks faces declining sales and stock prices. Starbucks is experiencing a notable decline, evidenced by falling stock prices and a decrease in sales projections following a brief surge in November. Investors are growing increasingly concerned as the company's stock value has dropped by 9.4%, erasing nearly $12 billion in market value over 11 consecutive days of decline, as reported by Bloomberg. [RetailWire]

The TikTok Shop boom. Gen Z women are increasingly influencing spending patterns on TikTok, according to a Morning Consult report. The app is more popular among Gen Z women, with 75% using it, compared to 62% of their male counterparts.  [CNBC]

Job Board: This week’s Top Openings in DTC, RetailTech, and more

Want to submit a role to our talent board? Email [email protected].

  • Operations Manager (Jessup, PA) Chewy - more here

  • Director, Consumer Insights (Innovation and Transversal) (New York, NY) Tapestry - more here

  • Senior Associate Brand Manager, New Opportunities (Los Angeles, CA) King’s Hawaiian - more here

  • Operations Manager – Post-Sale Quality Assurance (New York, NY) Brilliant Earth - more here

  • Sales Analytics Manager, Walmart (New York, NY) Harry’s Inc. - more here

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Retailist Magazine is an outlet focused on modern commerce as it relates to digital innovation. The publication examines our culture’s ever-evolving relationship with marketing, commerce and traditional retail. Our goal is to connect our audience to quality content and award programs for retail brands to tell their story of innovation. The publication was launched in Summer 2020 with overwhelming support from thought leaders across the globe.

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