This Week in Retail: Holiday markets, Singles Day, Apple anniversary

We’re rapidly approaching the back half of November, and that means holiday markets are popping up around the country. In New York City, the Grand Central Holiday Fair opened today, and the holiday market at Union Square opens on Thursday. For a look at how these seasonal pop-ups work, check out this story by Retail Brew reporter Erin Cabrey.

Here’s what else is going on in retail this week:

In holidays: China’s biggest shopping event, Singles’ Day, is Tuesday, but retailers started offering sales weeks ago as part of a full-court press on the part of the Chinese government to boost spending in a stagnant economy. E-commerce giant Alibaba started the holiday as its answer to Amazon’s Prime Day, but it has since evolved into a nationwide shopping festival.

In anniversaries: Apple is kicking off its 50th anniversary year on Wednesday with the rollout of new product displays and placements—and some industry-watchers are expecting new product releases as well. The celebration comes as Apple navigates headwinds such as tariffs. While their impact has been minimal so far, they could compound in the coming year.

In openings: Earlier this month, Ikea debuted its “first-ever cross-brand retail experience” in select Best Buy stores. They’re essentially shop-in-shops featuring Ikea goods and are designed to help customers plan their living spaces, specifically kitchen and laundry room settings.

In earnings: Tyson Foods is reporting earnings today. The meat giant is coming off a strong Q3, during which higher demand for poultry helped offset a drop in beef sales related to smaller herd sizes and a multiyear drought which dried up pastures for grazing. The company raised its full-year forecast on the strength of the quarter.