TVs and tablets top holiday shopping lists
(Relaxnews) – As the festive season spending frenzy moves into its highest gear, the first clear picture is emerging of what to expect under the Christmas tree this year. According to Adobe’s latest data, published Monday, despite pronouncements that the tablet has had its day, so far slates, particularly those of the iPad variety are […]
Black Friday online shopping rivals stores: US survey
(Washington, United States-AFP) – As many Americans bought online as they did in physical stores during the Thanksgiving weekend shopping splurge, the National Retail Federation said Sunday, highlighting a growing trend away from the traditional Black Friday consumer assault. The closely watched survey said that about 151 million people shopped either in stores and/or online […]
Safety deserves a place at the Thanksgiving table
By Paul Netter, Southern California Edison Keep an eye on what you fry … or grill … or broil. And never leave stovetop cooking unattended. This is true all year but especially on Thanksgiving Day, which has three times more home fires than any other day largely because of unattended stovetop cooking, according to the National Fire […]
Baskin-Robbins’ Turkey Ice Cream Cake returns for 2015
(Relaxnews) – Baskin-Robbins is bringing back its famous Turkey Ice Cream Cake for the 2015 Thanksgiving holiday season. The popular turkey-shaped ice cream cake can be customized with customers’ favorite ice cream flavor. It is “glazed” with Caramel Praline Topping and decorated with sugar cone “legs.” The chain is also putting a creative twist on […]
TVs top consumers’ holiday season high-tech wish lists
(Relaxnews) – From games consoles to tablets, nearly two thirds of Americans are sizing up a new tech purchase as a holiday gift, according to the Consumer Electronics Association. And while a new television is at the top of most consumers’ most wanted lists, the gift most likely to be given at Thanksgiving or on […]
‘Cyber Monday’ sales rise after weekend disappointment
(WASHINGTON-AFP) – Online retail sales showed healthy gains on “Cyber Monday,” a key kickoff for online shopping for the holiday season, surveys showed. According to the Adobe 2014 Digital Index, US online sales came in at $2.65 billion, up 16 percent from 2013. Adobe said the top 25 retailers, who each generated $30 million or […]
US shoppers go in for the kill on ‘Black Friday’
(LEESBURG-AFP) – The traditionalists don’t like it, but the “Black Friday” shopping frenzy is as much a part of the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States as turkey and pumpkin pie. And it’s only Thursday. Americans will spend tens of billions of dollars over the four-day holiday and there was certainly no messing about at […]
Are US shoppers falling out of love with Black Friday?
(Relaxnews) – Is the Black Friday shopping tradition losing its shine in the US? According to Consumer Reports’ latest Black Friday Holiday Poll, more than half (53 percent) of Americans say they won’t be shopping at all during the five-day stretch between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday. Some 39 percent of participants said they would […]
Rush-seeking Millennials more likely to brave crowds than Baby Boomers this Black Friday
(Relaxnews) – Millennials are more likely to brave the stores on Black Friday than Boomers, according to a new report. A survey by US retailer Hhgregg showed that 63 percent of Millennials will visit stores on one of the busiest shopping days of the year, compared to just 40 percent of the older generation. While 73 percent […]
Americans urged to stop wasting food
(WASHINGTON-AFP) – In the run-up to Thanksgiving, a holiday to celebrate bountiful harvests, Americans are being urged to stop wasting food so much. Some 34 million pounds (15.4 million kilograms) of food is thrown away in the United States every year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Friday. That represents 21 percent of all food […]
Millions of Americans set to hit the road for Thanksgiving
(Relaxnews) – Approximately 46.3 million Americans are getting ready to hit the road this Thanksgiving — the highest number since 2007. According to the “2014 Thanksgiving Travel Forecast” by motoring and leisure travel organization AAA Travel projects, 4.2 percent more citizens than last year will be traveling at least 50 miles during the Thanksgiving weekend, November 26-30. […]
Baskin-Robbins creates turkey-shaped ice cream cake
(Relaxnews) – Baskin-Robbins has taken the concept of cold turkey literally, by creating a special Thanksgiving turkey-shaped ice cream cake. To create the illusion of a shiny, basted whole turkey, the cake is glazed in a caramel praline topping and finished with sugar cone legs and paper leg frills. Customers can customize the ice cream […]
Safety is the best ingredient during Thanksgiving
ROSEMEAD, Calif. – While overeating and Thanksgiving are virtually synonymous, cooking accidents and Turkey Day, unfortunately, go hand in hand, too. Because of the latter, Southern California Edison (SCE) urges its customers to add a healthy dose of safety to their preparations this Thanksgiving, since the National Fire Protection Association says cooking is the […]
Travel tips for surviving US Thanksgiving
(Relaxnews) – Print your boarding pass the old-fashioned way and sign up to Twitter. These are among tips from travel experts in their survival guide for American Thanksgiving, one of the busiest travel times of the year. With 24 million people expected to travel over the US holiday next week, experts at online booking site […]
Top iPhone apps: ‘Advent 2013, 25 Christmas apps’
(Relaxnews) – An advent calendar app makes the most of its seasonal opportunity and proves most popular in Europe and Canada, while QuizUp rises in the States over Thanksgiving week, and a new Candy Crush Saga update jolts Japan. Details of these and other top free iPhone applications by country for the week, by number […]
‘Cyber Monday’ sales top $2 bn, boosted by mobile
(WASHINGTON-AFP) – Online retail sales for Cyber Monday grew 16 percent from last year to $2.29 billion, lifted by more shopping on mobile devices, a market tracker said Tuesday. The Adobe Digital Index survey said online sales for the key holiday shopping day reflected an 80 percent jump in sales from mobile devices like smartphones […]
Online sales soar in Black Friday two-day shopping frenzy
(WASHINGTON-AFP) – Americans’ online shopping for Black Friday deals soared to $3 billion during a two-day period beginning on Thanksgiving, with tablets and cell phones used for nearly a quarter of sales, estimates showed Saturday. Online purchases reached $1.93 billion on Friday itself, the unofficial start of the retail sector’s holiday season. That marked a […]
Keep yourself safe on Cyber Monday
(Relaxnews) – US consumers are expected to spend over $2 billion online on Monday as the nation takes to the web to source the best deals on holiday gifts. However, in all of the excitement it could be very easy to fall prey to spammers, scammers and malware. Indeed, two thirds of retailers claim to […]
Steam sale spearheads Black Friday discounts
(Relaxnews) – Running until December 3, PC gaming’s Steam sale is accompanied by a number of other download discounts from the Humble Store, Microsoft, Grand Theft Auto Online, and Square Enix. Visitors from the Northern Hemisphere are greeted by an Autumn Sale graphic, while those in the South see a Spring Sale banner. That’s a nice touch. […]
Disney gives folk tale cool makeover in ‘Frozen’
(LOS ANGELES-AFP) – Disney has given a chilly makeover to a traditional fairy tale in its latest animated release “Frozen,” which could be in the running for an Oscar. The movie is based on Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen” — 25 years after Disney’s last Andersen adaptation, “The Little Mermaid” — even if it […]