What We Learned From Retailers’ Five-Day Scramble For Shoppers

Black Friday weekend no longer brings a stampede of crazed shoppers to America’s malls. But it still serves as a barometer of retail health as the industry enters the critical holiday season. The prognosis this year? Shoppers seem willing to spend more, but that’s not benefiting retailers equally. Even with deep discounts, brick-and-mortar stores failed to boost customer traffic on Black Friday. Shopping is increasingly flowing online, with mobile devices becoming the preferred means of commerce. With the long weekend — including Cyber Monday — now in the rearview mirror, retailers are looking to apply lessons to the four weeks remaining in the holiday season. Here are the key takeaways. Read more at Bloomberg.