Macy's

Macy's reported an impressive 30.9 percent gain in sales at its Macy's and Bloomingdales' websites last month. That growth contributed to the department store's ability to outpace analysts' estimates for February, with a 5.8 percent gain in the company's same-store sales.

Retailers appear to have overestimated the spending momentum of consumers and are delivering December sales numbers that show the poor economy still has the upper hand.

A sampling of key insights posted on RetailOnlineIntegration.com last month:

Macy's posted a profit for the period ending Oct. 30, coming back from a loss the same time a year ago, as sales rose.

Across the country, Macy's is ringing in this Christmas with local flavor, from Elvis ornaments in Tennessee to Texas-themed martini glasses. These 2,200 themed ornaments and other decor sold locally for the holidays are vivid examples of how Macy's is looking to harness the magic this Christmas and beyond.

Same-store retail sales for October were up 1.7 percent, a smaller increase compared to the gains in September with 2.8 percent and 2.3 percent in October 2009, according to Kantar Retail's monthly report of 31 U.S. retailers.

NOW that Halloween is done, Madison Avenue is embarking on the mad dash to Dec. 25. The sluggish economy is raising the stakes for the Christmas shopping season. Some retailers and marketers, worried that uncertainty among shoppers might increase as the weeks go by, hope to pull demand forward by moving up the start of their pitches.

The global economy has sped up the fashion cycle, transporting trends from Europe and around the world to the masses at a breakneck pace.