12-28-2005, 12:56 PM
Quote:Online and in stores, retailers sought an extra boost in the days after Christmas to help galvanize what's being described as a mixed holiday shopping season so far. They trotted out their usual array of gimmicks designed to get customers back into the buying mood on Monday, hoping that gift returns and gift card redemptions would generate another burst of sales. Some retailers even used the holiday to change over their merchandise, giving shoppers the first looks at spring fashions
One force in the post-holiday shopping spree -- one expected to provide a boost to retailers well into 2006 -- is the increased use of gift cards.
The National Retail Federation estimates that consumers will spend US$18.48 billion on gift cards this holiday season, up 6.6 percent from a year ago. That represents nearly 16 percent of total retail sales.
full article: http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/pKwv...Bump.xhtml
