Lululemon says Black Friday was 'biggest day ever'

Survey: 78% of consumers want to use mobile messaging for shopping

The direct message brings new opportunities to convert. A survey from Clickatell found that 81% of consumers are more likely to buy an item from an SMS link than one that is sent via email. "For retail brands, the next wave of commerce is building relationships with consumers in the same way they communicate with friends or family every day,” said CEO Pieter de Villiers.

Fast-fashion giant Shein explores becoming online marketplace

New this morning: Shein is weighing expansion that would allow other brands and retailers to sell through its platform. This would help to grow the assortment of merchandise as well as shipping options, according to a memo obtained by the Wall Street Journal. A third-party move propelled a new phase of Amazon’s growth, but it's not clear how introducing other merchants would enable Shein to continue to press its particular supply chain advantages. – WSJ

Holidays so far: Lululemon, Costco see Black Friday records

Early results trickling out in earnings calls show signs of hope for the holidays. Lululemon said Black Friday was its "biggest day ever" in terms of revenue and traffic. Meanwhile, Vera Bradley saw an early November lull give way to holiday momentum that hasn’t let up. Executives are also preparing for a strong finish, as Signet Jewelers sees browsing that is likely to mean sales come late in the season.

Walmart-backed fintech startup plans to launch its own buy now, pay later loans

One is expected to be the next entrant into the market for ecommerce-driven installment payments, with a buy now pay later offering arriving as soon as next year, CNBC reports. The company is majority-owned by Walmart, and led by former Goldman Sachs executives. This news comes after Apple signaled plans for its own BNPL offering earlier this year, entering a market that already includes firms like Affirm, Klarna and Afterpay. – CNBC

The Week Ahead: Latest data on inflation, interest rates, retail sales

It’s one of those weeks where we’re going to learn a lot about the state of the consumer economy. November’s inflation rate from the Consumer Price Index arrives Tuesday. The next day, the Fed will issue its decision on the size of its latest interest rate hike. Thursday brings US retail sales data, which will provide an initial look at the holiday season. We’ve got last week’s data on consumer sentiment and wholesale inflation as a prelude.

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