- Black Friday results may have slightly stronger than what was first indicated in largely anecdotal reports last month, observes NPD Group.
- The research firm says the percentage of shoppers hitting stores on the key shopping day increased slightly year-over-year to 43%. Thanksgiving traffic was also up, although the percentage of shoppers that went out both days actually fell.
- Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) and Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) were volume winners during different periods of Thanksgiving Day, while Macy's (NYSE:M) was the peak leader on Black Friday.
- Target (NYSE:TGT) and Amazon are seen by NPD as big holiday shopper winners when the broader period is reviewed. Target is hitting its stride largely due to solid assortment and inventory management, while the popularity of Amazon Prime has helped the e-commerce beast to gain market share.
- Discretionary retail ETFs: XLY, XRT, VCR, RTH, RETL, FXD, FDIS, RCD, PMR, PEZ, PSCD, BITE.