INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Shoppers are just as promotion-driven as they have been since economists first coined the term the "new normal" economy — and that's not likely to change, according to a new "The Why? Behind the Buy" report released Wednesday by Acosta Sales.

LYNDHURST, N.J. — Despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommending that most people get flu shots, many members of the public remain skeptical, according to a new survey by Vitals.com.

NEW YORK — The short-term forecast for cold weather items, including cold medicines, is that demand could be down as much as 15% without Jack Frost biting at everyone’s nose, according to analysis from Deutsche Bank published Monday.

Weather Trends International estimates temperatures will be up 2 to 5 degrees warmer year-over-year, on average, over the balance of the year across the United States.

ARMONK, N.Y. — Coming off a Thanksgiving weekend chock full of sales gains, it appears retailers also fared well on Cyber Monday, according to a new report by IBM.

Online sales were up 33% over 2010, while consumers' average order value increased 2.6% from $193.24 to $198.26. Additionally, mobile sales reached 6.6%, compared with 2.3% in the year-ago period, with 10.8% of people using a mobile device to visit a retailer's site, up from 3.9% in 2010, IBM said.

RESTON, Va. — Retailers who promoted their online presence as a way to avoid the crowds this past weekend were rewarded for their efforts with record sales on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday, according to online measurement firm ComScore.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — The recession grinch may have to pack it up this holiday season, as initial spending indicated that this year's holidays are on track toward some pretty significant growth as compared with last year.

(THE NEWS: Black Friday proves to be record day for retail, NRF reports. For the full story, click here.)

Pfizer’s plan to sell Lipitor (atorvastatin) directly to consumers under a partnership with Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy takes a detour from branded drug manufacturers’ previous tactics and could represent a new way for them to head off competition from generics.

(THE NEWS: Pfizer to sell Lipitor directly by mail. For the full story, click here.)

WASHINGTON — The combination of earlier-than-ever opening hours, favorable weather and deal-conscious consumers receptive to heightened promotional activity produced record sales over Thanksgiving weekend.

The National Retail Federation said an estimated 226 million shoppers visited stores and websites over Thanksgiving weekend, compared with 212 million last year, and spent an average of $398 per person, compared with $365 last year. Those findings are based on an NRF survey of 3,826 shoppers conducted over the weekend by BIGresearch.