Holiday sales increased 5% over last year, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse report, marking the largest year-over-year increase since 2011. Christian Magoon, CEO of Amplify, and Melissa Gonzalez, CEO and Founder of Lion'esque Group, join The Long and The Short to recap retail in 2017 and make predictions for 2018.
According to the Mastercard survey, aggressive promotions early in the holiday season were the main driver for the uptick in retail sales. As for the specific categories that saw growth: sales of electronics and appliances increased by 7.5%, and home furnishings and improvement sales jumped 5%. However, women's apparel was negative over the entire year.
Magoon believes mobile commerce is growing by leaps and bounds, which is a direct result of retail sales going up. This is a white-hot growth opportunity for retailers, as smart devices, faster internet, and more trusted mobile payment technology push mobile sales above desktop or foot-traffic. Gonzalez says that retail stores need to start offering perks to their shoppers to get them in the store. Additionally, aggressive discounts were a main driver this year.
With busy summer days on the horizon, packing your beach bag is crucial. Luckily, Kim Appelt, style expert and author of the book Style for Everybody has some recommendations you can take from day to night with ease.
Going once, going twice, sold! Our very own Chloe Aiello got the chance to visit Christie's Auction house to get a peek at some rare items going up for bid today from the collection of Ann and Gordon Getty.
Actor Treat Williams, whose nearly 50-year career included starring roles in the TV series “Everwood” and the movie “Hair,” died Monday after a motorcycle crash in Vermont, state police said. He was 71.
A lot of us go for food that makes us feel like 'home' when we're eating it. Chloe Aiello sat down with celebrity chef Alisa Reynolds who traveled the world in her new TV series Searching for Soul Food to understand the real meaning of soul food.
Summer is heating up and more people are starting to travel, but some are opting to skip the security lines at the airports and travel by train. As part of our Need2Know Vacation series, cheddar's Ashley Mastronardi reports from a train en route to Virginia.
The iconic 7-Eleven Slurpee cup just got a makeover. The company rolled out the new cups on Monday as part of its "Anything Flows" campaign, and they feature a colorful design on the front with a big "S" resembling the swirly top of the icy drink.
