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Fri. Nov. 23, 2012 Mobile shopping hits Thanksgiving Day high More shoppers than ever before got a virtual jump on Black Friday this year, snapping up online deals with smartphones and tablets on Thursday without even losing sight of -- or a seat at -- the Thanksgiving Day table. Internet retailers recorded 17.4 percent more sales Thursday compared with the previous year’s Thanksgiving Day in large part due to a spike in buying on mobile devices, according to IBM Smarter Commerce, which tracks holiday shopping activity.	Advertisement
Blue laws mean later start for Mass. shoppers, but Black Friday frenzy underway Across most of the nation, retailers opened on Thanksgiving Day , but those changes have not occurred in Massachusetts, one of three New England states that still forbids the practice based on 17th century blue laws. But at Best Buy in Danvers a mammoth line snaked across the Liberty Tree Mall well before midnight when many stores would open. Shoppers in Massachusetts are expected to spend $14 billon during this year’s holiday sales, a 3.5 percent increase from last year.
Dedham retailer iParty stock could face delisting due to low price The Dedham retailer iParty Corp. said its stock, which has traded at 25 cents or less for a year, could be delisted if it doesn’t take action to raise the share price by May 20, 2013.
Mass. residents take advantage of early Black Friday deals in New Hampshire Store openings on Black Friday, the traditional kick-off of the holiday shopping season, have crept earlier and earlier for the past several years. This year, a number of major retailers pushed up their start times even further, opening their doors to shoppers who were still digesting their pumpkin pie.
Steward Health Care System to cut jobs at three of its community hospitals Managers at three community hospitals owned by Steward Health Care System have notified representatives of Local 1199 of the Service Employees International Union that they plan to eliminate as many as 35 service and technical jobs, union leaders said Wednesday. Over the past week, they said, Steward officials alerted them of its intention to cut 15 union jobs at Norwood Hospital, 12 at Carney Hospital in Dorchester, and seven or eight at Morton Hospital in Taunton.
State health council approves regulations that let companies pay for doctors’ meals and drinks Following the lead of the legislature and the Patrick administration, the state Public Health Council adopted regulations Wednesday loosening the gift ban under the Massachusetts law that restricts marketing by the precription drug and medical device industries. The new rules had been expected since last July when the budget signed by Gov. Deval Patrick allowed companies to pick up tabs for “modest” meals and refreshments for doctors during informational sessions about products. But critics said they were disappointed the regulations failed to heed calls to prohibit alcohol or set a dollar limit on the amount drug and device companies can spend for meals at the sessions.
Boston.com plans full coverage of Black Friday shopping with tweets and live blog Boston.com plans to offer full coverage of the shopping frenzy that surrounds Black Friday, the day regarded by many as the official start of the holiday retail season. Members of the Boston.com Black Friday team will be fanning out to local malls and stores --- as early as 8 o’clock Thanksgiving night, in the case of stores in New Hampshire. The team will share its reporting in blog posts, photos, and tweets.
Yankee Group: Holiday shoppers are expected to snap up mobile devices en masse Mobile devices account for three of the top five devices that US consumers plan to buy this holiday season, according to a forecast from Yankee Group, a Boston-based research and advisory firm. For the most part, this gadget boom will be powered by men. One exception: E-readers such as the Amazon Kindle. Women outnumber men in their intention to purchase e-readers.
Citibank close nine of 31 branches in Massachusetts Citibank, which aggressively entered the Boston market six years ago with dozens of new branches, plans to close nearly one-third of its local offices next year. The New York-based bank will close nine of its 31 branches in Massachusetts on March 15, according spokesman Catherine Pulley. The bank declined to identify which branches are closing since it has yet to notify customers, something it plans to do next month. But Pulley said the bank would maintain its offices in Boston and nearby communities and shutter locations farther from the city.
Insurance provider Chubb offers some Black Friday shopping tips The Chubb Group of Insurance Cos. offers some advice for shopping on Black Friday, a day when many consumers begin their annual hunt for holiday gifts. Bring along a brown bag for toting high-end merchandise --- you don’t want to flaunt your loot, Chubb advises. And leave those small kids at home. They’ll only slow a serious shopper down.
Roslindale Village gears up to mark Small Business Saturday Most shoppers know that the day after Thanksgiving is Black Friday, a day regarded by many as the official start of the holiday retail season, but let’s not forget the next day, Small Business Saturday. American Express takes credit for establishing Small Business Saturday. On that day, shoppers are urged to “shop small” and patronize local merchants on the theory that small businesses are critical to the vitality of neighborhoods and communities. Roslindale Village is one of many neighborhoods gearing up for Small Business Saturday. SBA administrator Karen Mills is expected to be on hand.
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