Hope to provide late sales boost: More than 200 retailers, including such household brands as Toys R Us, Macy’s, Sears and Eddie Bauer, are joining forces for “Free Shipping Day,” which will be held Dec. 17. Shoppers who order products online on that day will not have to pay shipping charges, and their items will be delivered by Christmas Eve. This is the third year in a row for “Free Shipping Day,” online retailers hope to make it as big of a shopping holiday as Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) or Cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving). For more information and a list of participating retailers, go to freeshippingday.com.
Lower prices, but fewer passengers: The number of Americans flying over the Thanksgiving holiday is expected to be down 4%, according to an airline industry trade group. The Air Transport Association of America says the decline in passengers comes after deep discounts. During the second quarter domestic airfares were down 13% from the same time period in 2008, at their lowest point since 1998, says the ATA. Planes should be packed during the 12-day Thanksgiving period, as airlines have drastically cut back on available seats to meet customer demand.
