General Merchandise

NEW YORK — Moody's on Tuesday cut against the grain with its holiday forecasts by suggesting pent-up demand will help give retailers a reason to celebrate Black Friday despite concerns of another government shutdown in January. It's not what shoppers say they're going to not do this year, but rather an extension of how shoppers will actually spend based on last season's behavior. 

YONKERS, N.Y. — Black Friday will just be an ordinary day for the 56% of Americans who plan to do no shopping at all, according to a Consumer Reports poll released Tuesday. Conversely, 44% intend to do some shopping, up significantly from the 30% who said they shopped for gifts during last year's Black Friday weekend. 

Among the top reasons Americans gave for wanting no part of shopping during Black Friday weekend were:

NEW YORK — According to a Harris Poll released Tuesday, 70% of Americans believe it is likely that the government will shut down again in January, while just 21% believe it is unlikely to shut down. Republicans are more likely than both Democrats and Independents to say it is likely there will be a shutdown in January (79% versus 64% and 67%, respectively).

BETHEL, Conn. — Duracell on Friday announced that it will donate up to 1 million batteries to Toys for Tots as part of its Power a Smile program, marking the brand's largest donation to the organization to date.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The global market research firm Harris Interactive on Monday announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to be acquired by Nielsen Holdings. 

CHICAGO — Across five different product or service attributes analyzed (i.e., price, service agreement, selection, feature or quality) in a Nielsen Global Survey of Loyalty Sentiment, "offering the best price" held the most persuasive power to motivate consumers to swap devotion to a brand, service provider or retailer, Nielsen reported on Monday. 

SARATOGA, Calif. — Men have become significant players participating in a self-gifting trend, according to a survey released Wednesday by Roku. When it comes to self-gifting, men are most likely to hide their gift (43% more likely than women), claim it’s from someone else (150% more likely) or even create an imaginary friend (118% more likely) rather than own up to the purchase, according to the survey conducted by Omnipulse on behalf of Roku. 

CINCINNATI — Procter & Gamble brand Charmin on Wednesday announced improvements to its toilet paper. The retooled Charmin is now more flushable and is designed to help alleviate the strain on home plumbing systems, the company said.