The five-day shopping period from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday brought record-breaking sales activity both online and in stores, drawing 203 million shoppers.

The Mall of America reported its busiest Black Friday to date, with 235,000 visitors, an 8.5% increase from the same day last year. Despite concerns about margin pressure from heavy discounting, retailers have significant opportunities ahead, as consumers have completed only about 40% of their holiday shopping.

Across all channels, Black Friday was the biggest shopping day, drawing 80.3 million in-store shoppers and 85.7 million online, according to NRF. Both retailers and shoppers have been front-loading purchases to take advantage of deals, reflecting a trend where promotional offers influence holiday shopping behaviors, NRF chief economist Mark Mathews said.

Woojer has introduced the Woojer Mat, a haptic mattress topper that uses the same technology as the company's vests and belt straps to allow users to feel vibrations from movies, games and music. The mat connects to devices via Bluetooth, analog audio cable or USB-C.

The construction of Hyundai's $817 million Future Mobility Battery Campus reflects a broader industry trend toward vertical integration of battery operations among automakers. By bringing battery R&D and production capabilities in-house, Hyundai aims to gain greater control over costs, performance and integration, mirroring strategies adopted by BYD, General Motors and Tesla. The shift is designed to enable automakers to accelerate innovation cycles and reduce reliance on suppliers.

Tom Ford Fashion has introduced a virtual try-on feature for eyewear, using 3D augmented reality technology from Perfect Corp. The tool, which will be available in the US, Canada and Europe by the end of 2025, allows customers to see how sunglasses fit in real time via a web browser, including precise pupillary distance calculation. Other retailers such as Warby Parker and Walmart have also adopted similar technology to enhance the customer experience and reduce return rates.