Holiday Shopping Season, Retailer | featured news

Retail Web sites kept amping up the deals Monday, the first day after Thanksgiving weekend's strong online sales, to try to maintain the momentum.

Online retailers hope the convenience of the Web, plus discounts and deals, spur still-nervous shoppers to spend more online this holiday season - even as traditional retailers brace for mediocre sales....

When the holiday shopping season kicks off the day after Thanksgiving, retailers can expect to see millions of less frightened, but even more bargain-hungry customers.

Wal-Mart's much-awaited Black Friday deals will focus on a gamut of gadgets such as high-definition TVs, laptops and Blu-ray players, as well as holiday gift favorites such as toys and DVDs, according to a copy of the retailer's circular obtained by CNNMoney.com.

Some analysts are now predicting higher levels of holiday spending than in the year before.

A key measure of consumer confidence fell in September, after a gain in the previous month, raising concerns about retail sales in the upcoming holiday season, a research group said Tuesday.

Amazon.com Inc., the world’s largest online retailer, topped sales and profit estimates yesterday after its biggest holiday season ever, outpacing EBay Inc. and its e-commerce rivals.