General Merchandise

NEW YORK — Consumers are holiday shopping sooner and spending more this year due to a late Thanksgiving and shorter holiday shopping season, according to a new survey by American Express.

The latest American Express Spending and Saving Tracker indicates that shoppers will spend $1,260 this year — up $400 from last year — and 27% are already looking for deals and plan to finish before Dec. 1, from 24% last year. Thirty-seven percent expect to finish shopping the week before Christmas, compared with 33% last year.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Consumers will take a conservative approach to spending this holiday season. According to NRF’s holiday consumer spending survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, the average holiday shopper will spend $737.95 on gifts, decor, greeting cards and more, 2% less than the $752.24 they actually spent last year. Despite this reduction in individual holiday budgets, NRF is forecasting holiday sales will increase 3.9% to $602.1 billion.

CHICAGO — According to IRI's Q3 2013 MarketPulse survey results released Tuesday, 85% of American consumers were aware of the looming debt ceiling crisis and of the government shutdown, which is clearly impacting their views of their personal finances, including their approach to grocery shopping. 

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Kmart will kick off the holiday shopping season by launching a new lease-to-own program in time for Black Friday, the massmerchandise retailer said Tuesday.

Kmart said it would launch the program through Whynot Leasing and make it available nationwide starting on Nov. 22. Sears, also part of parent company Sears Holdings, also is launching the program, making it available for more than 95 million items via Sears Marketplace, including electronics, home goods, jewelry and tools, as well as major brands and boutique items.

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario — Target is offering a limited-time assortment of wigs in collaboration with designer Chris March — as well as costumes for kids and pets, and accessories for adults — as part of its Halloween offering this year, the mass-merchandise retailer said.

"Halloween is such a fun time of year for kids and kids at heart," Target Canada SVP merchandising John Morioka said. "We want our Canadian guests to know that Target is the wallet-friendly destination for Halloween this year."

ALISO VIEJO, Calif. — A line of leather bracelets made by Endorphin Warrior aims to inspire wearers to lose weight and improve their health.

SAN FRANCISCO — Del Monte Foods will sell its consumer products business to Del Monte Pacific Limited for $1.675 billion in order to focus on the pet products market, Del Monte Foods said.

NEENAH, Wis. — A company that makes packaging for manufacturers ranging from food companies to drug makers has received more than a dozen awards at a marketing exposition in Chicago.

Menasha Packaging announced that it won 13 Design of the Time Awards at the 2013 Shopper Marketing Expo, including three gold, two silver and eight bronze awards in the drug store, mass-merchandise, specialty and supermarket channels. The DOT Awards recognize creative in-store activation tactics and campaigns.