‘Black Friday’ becoming a shadow of its former self in US

The U.S. holiday shopping season officially opened with a deluge of “Black Friday” promotions but the frenzied crowds of the past have thinned out with the rise of e-commerce.

Companies in the retail, entertainment and tourism industries once again tried to entice shoppers after Thanksgiving with a bevy of offers on a day synonymous with American consumer culture and notorious “doorbuster” sales that start at the crack of dawn.


But U.S. consumers aren’t buying Black Friday the way they once did.

Only 36% of U.S. consumers plan to shop this year on Black Friday, down one percent from last year and a decline of 23% from 2015, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers survey.

“Just a few years ago, Black Friday had the aura of a FOMO (fear of missing out) event,” PWC said. “Now it seems more symbolic than significant in the pantheon of retail holidays.”

Black Friday will be followed in three days by “Cyber Monday,” a second highpoint of spending early in the season.

Friday’s sales have prompted copycat versions throughout Europe, an effort that has generated no small amount of friction.

This year’s events prompted protest in parts of France, Germany and the Netherlands that included environmentalist rallies outside Amazon distribution centers and human chains blocking malls.

There has been little sign of that sort of subversiveness in the United States. Rather, the bigger emerging challenge for Black Friday has been shifting consumer patterns.

The PWC survey said that for the first time in 2019 more consumers (54%) said they’ll do more of their shopping online than in stores.


Higher sales expected

Economists and retail industry insiders are broadly confident about the outlook for the 2019 season, owing to a strong labor market.

Consumer spending accounts for about 70% of US economic growth and has stayed strong throughout 2019 even as manufacturing has stagnated and business investment has been lackluster.

“Consumers are in good financial shape and willing to spend a little more on gifts for the special people in their lives this holiday season,” said Matthew Shay, Chief Executive of the National Retail Federation.

The NRF has projected that US consumers will spend an average of $1,048 this year, up about 4% they said they would spend last year.

But increasingly more of those sales are migrating online.

This trend includes Amazon of course, but also traditional brick-and-mortar chains like Walmart and Macy’s that have evolved into “multichannel” retailers, as well as companies and organizations hawking everything from pet food to hotel stays to political merchandise.

President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” merchandise was being once again discounted on the U.S. president’s political website at 35% off.

Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts was offering 25% off merchandise orders of $75 or more.

Due to the lateness of Thanksgiving, this year’s holiday shopping season is about six days shorter than last year, prompting more retailers to push up promotions even earlier in the season than usual, according to analysts.

Online consumer spending on Thanksgiving day came in this year at $4.2 billion, up 14.5% from a year ago and the first time above $4 billion, according to Adobe Analytics.


Jason Woosley, a vice president with Adobe, said preliminary data showed Black Friday was also on track to top its performance from last year by almost 19%, with promotions for sporting goods and appliances especially popular.

The data suggested the Thanksgiving day shopping spree hasn’t “stolen any traffic from Black Friday,” he said, adding that about 20% of the overall online sales for the season are expected between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday. NVG

source: business.inquirer.net

Holiday reads: Beachgoers check out French seaside libraries

Going to the beach can be tough work, but if you need a break from all the grueling swimming and sunbathing this summer, a trip to one of France’s pop-up seaside libraries could be just the thing.

Lulled by the gentle cries of seagulls in the distance, flocks of readers have been heading to the book-filled beach huts that authorities have opened along the coast of Normandy in northern France and elsewhere.

“It’s a perfect break for reading and relaxing between two dips in the sea,” said 52-year-old hairdresser Isabelle from her deckchair at the library in Etretat, a Normandy resort famed for its dramatic white cliffs.


“Since I’m not going away on holiday, this is my treat every afternoon,” she said, before diving back into a detective novel.

Etretat is one of 12 local resorts where authorities have set up library beach-huts this summer. Open from July 7 until August 26, each of the wooden huts has been filled with 1,000 books.

Normandy launched its “Read At The Beach” scheme in 2005 with three huts and by last year was welcoming more than 38,000 bookworms along this stretch of the coast.

The idea has since taken off elsewhere in France, with the Herault region in the south attracting 21,000 readers to its own beach huts last year.

Similar schemes have also been launched in other countries including Australia, Bulgaria, Israel and Spain.

Poetry and gentleman-thieves

In Normandy, anyone is welcome to dip into a book, with no registration needed — but readers must stay in the deck chairs provided, rather than taking them down to the sea to get sand between the pages.

This year 400 chairs are up for grabs around the region at the beach huts, which are open every day between 2 pm and 7 pm, with some books in English, German and Italian provided for foreign readers.


On a recent sunny afternoon in Etretat, a dozen readers — aged between nine months and 70 — come to transport themselves to other worlds from the hut, overlooking the sea.

“We need more of this kind of place,” said Romain Mace, an engineer on vacation from the city of Rouen, enjoying a volume of poetry as his baby slept beside him — a rare pleasure for sleep-deprived young parents.

Since the books cannot be taken off-site, the hut’s two librarians will happily put aside a novel you’ve started so that you can pick up the story where you left off the next day.

Corinne Ait Amar, 47, had returned to delve back into the thrilling exploits of gentleman-thief Arsene Lupin while her daughter was engrossed in a Japanese manga comic.

“It’s perfect,” said the nurse, on vacation with her family from the eastern city of St Etienne.

“My daughter and I have been saying to ourselves that we might meet up with the rest of the family a little later than planned…” NVG

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Happy Thanksgiving!

NEW YORK—I’ve just come home from a rehearsal for one of the most fun events in this city, which is then telecast all over the world: the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!


The very first parade took place in 1924 when the annual parade started by Louis Bamberger in Newark, New Jersey, at the Bamberger’s store was transferred to the Macy’s flagship store on Herald Square. There were Macy’s employees in colorful costumes, animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo, floats and professional bands. So many floats and balloons have been introduced since, with many from the worlds of children’s television and animated films.

We were at our theater in our second day of tech rehearsals when our producer Ken Davenport announced to the company that we would be performing at the parade.

There was plenty of joyful screaming and jumping going on. For a few of us, this will be our second parade, but for many, this one will be the first. There will be four Broadway shows making appearances at the Thanksgiving Day Parade: “Once on This Island,” “Anastasia,” “SpongeBob Squarepants” and “Dear Evan Hansen.” It’s especially exciting for the first two shows I listed, as the team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty wrote them both.

Performing for this event takes quite a bit of preparation. First, the powers-that-be in charge of the parade came to one of our previews to figure out what number they wanted to feature. Next, they scheduled a recording session for us to lay down our vocals for what we were going to perform, which is a mash-up of a couple of our bigger songs.

We spent a good morning at the Power Station recording studio, bumping into the cast of “Anastasia” as we were heading out to our theater. And then a few days ago, we spent a couple of hours at the Ripley-Grier rehearsal studios with our director Michael Arden and choreographer Camille Brown to figure out how to best present the production number.

Fast forward to tonight. After our preview performance at Circle in the Square, the whole cast, as well as members of the production team, boarded a bus and headed down to Macy’s. In the freezing cold, we ran through our number twice with the NBC technical and camera crew, just to make sure they got the angles they needed to get.

So now, all of us are safe at home trying to get some sleep, as we all have another long day. Most of our days during this preview period have us in rehearsal for the afternoon, followed by a performance that night.

We shall be keeping this schedule up until our opening night on Dec. 3. However, despite the physical and mental fatigue with these long days, there is much for us all to be thankful for. We get to wake up every single day knowing that we get to do what we love to do, and share it with one another as a company and with the enthusiastic audiences that join us
at night.

Truly, this coming Thanksgiving Day, we will be up very early with smiles on our faces and joy in our hearts. It’s not just about turkey and pumpkin pie, but about being grateful. And we are very, very grateful.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade airs on NBC today. (For details, visit nbc.com.)

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

5 headsets as your gateway to virtual reality this holiday

Although still quite expensive and with relatively limited content offers, virtual reality headsets are gaining ground in the mainstream among gamers and tech buffs.

Here are some top holiday gift ideas for tech-savvy users looking to step into virtual reality.

HTC Vive
This headset is the market reference in virtual reality, although it needs to be hooked up to a fairly powerful PC to enjoy the best of its abilities. The fruit of a partnership between the Taiwanese manufacturer and video games developer Valve, it comes loaded with all the technology needed to transport users into parallel worlds. It ships with wireless handheld controllers for moving around and interacting with certain objects when possible. The HTC Vive is priced from $599 (over P30,000) and is available at vive.com.

Oculus Rift
The Oculus Go, a cheaper model aimed at making VR a little more accessible, may be landing in 2018, but sector pioneer, the Oculus Rift, is still available to shop this holiday. The headset has two adjustable AMOLED screens plus a built-in microphone and audio system for full immersion in 3D worlds. Again, it requires a relatively powerful PC to get the best performance. It ships with a pair of handheld controllers. The Oculus Rift is priced from $399 (over P20,000) and is available from oculus.com.

Sony PlayStation VR
Principally aimed at PlayStation 4 gamers, this headset has two HD screens and a near-100 percent field of view. It’s a little cheaper than the sector’s pioneers, but requires an add-on camera to work, sold separately or bundled with the headset. It’s compatible with around 100 games, including “Gran Turismo Sport”, “Final Fantasy XIV” and “Resident Evil 7”. The Sony PlayStation VR headset is priced from $299 (over P15,000). For retailers, visit playstation.com.

HP Headset
Microsoft has teamed up with various manufacturers, including HP, to roll out a series of more accessible VR headsets designed to integrate with its new Windows Mixed Reality platform. This headset, complete with motion controllers, offers a particularly high-res image (2880 x 1440 pixels) and a field of view up to 105 degrees. The HP Headset is priced from $449 (almost P23,000) and is available from store.hp.com.

Google Daydream View
Considerably cheaper than competitor models, this relatively basic headset is designed to work with an Android smartphone or, in a more limited capacity, with an iPhone. It’s above all an exclusive gateway to Google’s Daydream platform, a virtual reality ecosystem promising access to spectacular content, from 3D videos on YouTube and Google Play Movies, to navigating Street View. The headset comes with a controller which has a trackpad, a gyroscope and an accelerometer. The Google Daydream View is priced from $99 (over P5,000) and is available from store.google.com. JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Have a Fourth of July Rib Fest at TGIFriday’s

A great American holiday deserves a celebration with great American food! And in the Philippines, there is no other place to best celebrate this US Holiday but at America’s iconic restaurant…TGIFRIDAYS!

This year, Fourth of July will once again become a festive date because TGIFridays will offer a 40% discount on its  Jack Daniel’s Ribs and Baby Back Ribs. So if you are ready for a Rib Fest, this is the day and place to be. This discount is applicable on orders of full racks or half slabs of its signature ribs

TGIFridays ribs have that fall-off-the-bone, fire grilled flavor that made bestsellers. Jack Daniel’s Ribs are seasoned with Cajun spices and generously glazed with the signature Jack Daniel’s sauce. The Baby Back Ribs, on the other hand, are coated with tangy barbecue sauce. Chow them down with crispy, seasoned fries and a refreshing coleslaw salad.

Mark your calendars! Fly your flags on the 4th of July and be ready for this rib fest at TGIFridays.



To know more about TGIFridays, check out its social media sites: Facebook , Instagram, Twitter and its website – www.fridays.com.ph. ADVT. 

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

America Commemorates Memorial Day

Columbia, SC (WLTX) - It's Memorial Day, a time set aside for America to remember its men and women who died to give us all our freedoms and liberties.

The exact origin of Memorial Day is somewhat in dispute, but most sources say it began after the Civil War to honor those killed in that conflict. At least one account says freed slaves in Charleston, South Carolina were the first to mark the occasion, when they celebrated the end of the war in 1865.

First known as "Decoration Day," the first official proclamation of the holiday was made in 1868 by an organization of Northern veterans which said that people should celebrate the day on May 30. It would remain on that exact date for almost 100 years.

In the 1880s, people began to refer to it as Memorial Day, and over time (particularly after World War I) that became the adopted standard. It wasn't until 1967, however, that federal law officially named it "Memorial Day."

A year later, Congress passed a measure which made the official observance of Memorial Day on the last Monday in May, rather than always on May 30.

Over the years, of course, the day has also become a time when Americans spend time with their families as the summer travel season begins.

But of course, we want to honor the true meaning of the day, and it's within that spirit that News19 joins everyone across the nation in recognizing the sacrifice of America's fighting forces.

source: wltx.com

Oil prices fall on China equity losses

LONDON - Oil fell on Monday as Chinese equities weakened, with a firmer dollar and global oversupply weighing on prices.

The U.S. Labor Day holiday helped keep trade thin.

China's main indexes closed down on Monday as investors sold shares in the aftermath of a four-day market holiday, during which further restrictions on futures trading were announced.

"Oil is only taking its cues from China this morning," SEB chief commodity analyst Bjarne Schieldrop said.

"The price is taking little notice of constructive data like stronger (European) equities, stronger base metals and last Friday's fall in U.S. rig count," he said.

Brent crude for October was down 75 cents at $48.86 a barrel by 1030 GMT. U.S. crude for October was down 70 cents at $45.35.

Oil has fallen almost 60 percent since June 2014 on a global supply glut. Prices have seesawed in recent weeks as concerns about a slowing Chinese economy caused turmoil in global stock markets.

"For commodities, the key demand-side figure to care about is not China’s GDP growing at 7 percent instead of 9 or 10 percent, it is the manufacturing price index, which has been falling for more than 40 months in a row," JBC Energy said.

A surprise gain in U.S. crude stocks of 4.7 million barrels in the week to Aug. 28, the biggest one-week rise since April, added to worries about oversupply.

That was despite the number of U.S. oil rigs falling by 13 to 662 last week, according to Baker Hughes data, the first decline in rig counts in seven weeks.

A firmer U.S. dollar also hurt oil prices by making the commodity more expensive for holders of other currencies.

The year-long decline in oil prices caused more than 5,000 job losses in Britain's North Sea oil and gas sector since late last year, the country's Oil and Gas Authority said on Monday.

Investors are awaiting euro zone second-quarter gross domestic product figures on Tuesday, followed by monthly global oil supply and demand data from U.S. and global energy authorities to give oil further direction.  — Reuters

Black Friday shopping crowds thin after Thanksgiving rush

WEST HARTFORD, Conn./CHICAGO - Mall crowds were relatively thin on Black Friday in a sign of what has become the new normal in US holiday shopping: the mad rush is happening the night of Thanksgiving and more consumers are picking up deals online.

Most major retailers now open Thursday evening and are extending holiday deals rather than limiting them to one day. The result is a quieter experience on what has traditionally been one of the busiest, and sometimes most chaotic, shopping days of the year.

"It just looks like any other weekend," said Angela Olivera, a 32-year-old housewife shopping for children's clothing at the Westfarms Mall near Hartford, Connecticut. "The kind of crowds we usually see are missing and this is one of the biggest malls here. I think people are just not spending a lot."

The crowds normally reserved for Black Friday morning appeared on Thursday night. For instance, more than 15,000 people lined up for the opening of the flagship store of Macy's Inc in New York on Thursday. Retailers also said they were capturing more of the holiday budget online.

Shares of Macy's, Wal-Mart Stores Inc and Target Corp were all up from 2.2 percent to 3 percent on Friday afternoon as investors saw encouraging signs in the long lines on Thursday night and with executives making bullish comments about demand. Lower gasoline prices were also giving the shares a boost, analysts said.

"It's off to a good start," said Charlie O'Shea, a retail analyst at Moody's Investors Service, about the shopping season after visiting nearly two dozen stores in northern New Jersey over the past two days.

Police arrested 11 people associated with the OUR Walmart group for blocking traffic in front of a downtown Chicago Wal-Mart store. The protest was one of 1,600 planned across the United States by the group, which is pushing for higher wages and benefits for the retailer's employees.

"Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart you're no good. Treat your workers like you should," a crowd of several dozen shouted outside the store.

Wal-Mart spokeswoman Brooke Buchanan said: "The crowds are mostly made up of paid union demonstrators, and they do not represent the views of the 1.3 million associates" who work for the company, the largest private employer in the United States.

Buchanan also said one of the demonstrators hit a customer at the Chicago store, prompting a complaint to the police.

Overall Black Friday online sales as of 1200 EST (1700 GMT) were up 6.4 percent from a year earlier, according to IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark. Online sales were up 14.3 percent on Thanksgiving Day.

Wal-Mart said Thursday was its second-highest online sales day ever after last year's Cyber Monday, which is the Monday after Thanksgiving, when online retailers promote bargains.

Target CEO Brian Cornell said his company rang up a record day of online sales on Thursday, and was seeing brisk demand in its stores. He said the company was selling 1,800 televisions a minute between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Thursday night.

Heavy traffic caused the Best Buy Co Inc website to crash for a little over an hour earlier on Friday, but as of afternoon it was back up and running, a company spokesman said.

The National Retail Federation is projecting that sales for November and December will rise 4.1 percent to $616.9 billion, which would mark the most bountiful holiday season in three years. Holiday sales grew 3.1 percent in 2013.

Some shoppers said the price of gasoline - expected to go even lower after the price of crude oil fell to a multiyear low - could make them more inclined to spend.

"My budget is pretty tight this year and gas is a tremendous expense because I have to drive my daughter around a lot," Kristen Akeley, 46, who works at an elementary school, said while shopping for clothes at a Target in Connecticut.

"My gas expense has fallen from $150 a week to $80 a week and that is big savings at this time of the year." — Reuters

7 Black Friday Credit Card Tips You Can’t Afford to Miss

Admit it: You can’t wait to get started on your holiday gift shopping. But if you’re planning to lean heavily on your credit card for Black Friday sales, the Nerds have a few important tips you can’t afford to miss.

Check out the details below for everything you need to know to swipe smart this holiday season (and beyond):

1. Shop with a rewards credit card to rack up serious points

 

The most important thing you can do to make the most of this holiday shopping season is select a card that provides a steady return on your spending in the form of points, miles, or cash back. Then, use it consistently. After all, you’re going to be shelling out big bucks anyway – you might as well get rewarded for it!

2. Use bonus malls to score even more rewards when you shop online

 

 A lot of people forget about the online shopping portals (often known as “bonus malls”) operated by their credit card issuers. If you choose to make your online purchases through these platforms, you stand to earn even more rewards on your credit card spending.

 

One of the best bonus malls out there is the one operated by Discover, known as Discover Deals. If you use your Discover it® and shop through Discover Deals, you could score extra cash back, a statement credit, or instant savings at checkout. This is a great way to help your dollars go the extra mile this holiday season.

3. Use your Chase Freedom® - $200 Bonus for department store shopping

 

If you’re planning to buy a lot of gifts at department stores this Black Friday, be sure to use your Chase Freedom® - $200 Bonus. With it, you’ll earn 5% cash back until December 31, 2014 at select department stores, aw well as Amazon.com and Zappos.com (up to $1,500 spent). Plus, you’ll earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

 

And don’t forget: If you also have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you can transfer all the Ultimate Rewards points you’re racking up with the Chase Freedom® - $200 Bonus over to it and cash them in for travel. Talk about a win-win!

4. Look into your credit card issuer’s extended warranty policy, pronto

 

Lots of people buy electronics on Black Friday, and many retailers try to hock extended warranty coverage at unsuspecting consumers. But it’s highly likely that your credit card already has your back. Every major network (Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover) offers some kind of extended warranty on most purchases made with the card.

However, exclusions apply and every card provides slightly different benefits. Consequently, placing a quick call to your card’s customer service line to see what it covers before you hit the mall is a smart idea.

5. Keep a watch on your balance

 

Holiday cheer can be a powerful force, but don’t let it cause you to overspend on your plastic. Using more than 30% of the available credit on any of your cards at any time during the month could do damage to your credit score. If you’re starting to get close to that threshold, make a payment as soon as you can.

6. Use a card that offers price protection to be sure you’re getting the best deal

 

According to a 2014 NerdWallet analysis, Black Friday “deals” aren’t always the absolute lowest prices of the season. To ensure that you’re getting the best price on every gift you buy, shop with a card that offers price protection. MasterCard, Discover, and Citi all provide the opportunity to get some a refund if an item you’ve bought with your card drops in price within a certain window of time.

Again, this functions slightly differently from card to card and there are restrictions to keep in mind. Be sure to read your plastic’s terms and conditions carefully for the ins and outs of its price protection program.

7. Be sure to pay your bills on time

 

If you’re juggling several credit cards to maximize rewards on your holiday shopping, take steps to stay organized. Missing a payment on one of them could cause your credit score to take a serious hit, so set calendar alerts for your billing due dates. This way, you’ll be getting the best deals with your cards and keeping your credit in good shape.

source: nerdwallet.com

'Fast & Furious' beats 'Hangover' on holiday weekend

LOS ANGELES -- Moviegoers raced to see "Fast & Furious 6" over the US Memorial Day weekend, earning the action sequel $117 million in its debut -- a clean win over the final "Hangover" movie, figures showed Tuesday.

The latest installment in the action-packed film franchise, starring Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez, earned $97.4 million from Friday through Sunday, and an extra $20 million Monday, box office tracker Exhibitor Relations said.

The Memorial Day holiday weekend, commemorating America's fallen soldiers, is seen as the unofficial start of summer in the United States.

"The Hangover Part III" was left a distant second despite opening a day early Thursday to avoid going head-to-head with "Fast & Furious." The third and final film in the series, given a thumbs down by many critics, took $41.7 million by Sunday, or $50.3 million including Monday.

Third place went to another sequel, "Star Trek: Into Darkness" which earned $37.3 million as it fell from first place last week. The film took in $47.2 million over four days.

Animated 3D family film "Epic" was in fourth place with $33.5 million in tickets sold, or $42.8 million including Monday.

Super-hero blockbuster sequel "Iron Man 3," starring Robert Downey Jr as the title character, took in $19.3 million ($24.7 million over four days) for the number five spot, while "The Great Gatsby," Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of the literary classic, was sixth with $13.5 million ($17 million).

Seventh place was claimed by "Mud," a coming-of-age story starring Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon, taking in $1.9 million, or $2.5 million including Monday.

"42" -- a biopic about trailblazing black baseball star Jackie Robinson -- was eighth, with $1.26 million in tickets sold, or $1.64 million over the four-day weekend.

The ninth spot went to "The Croods," a stone-age cartoon which earned $1.2 million, or $1.6 million over four days.

Rounding out the top 10 was "Oblivion," a post-apocalyptic action flick featuring Tom Cruise, which earned $869,000, or $1.04 million including Monday. -- Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com