s this issue of The Green Sheet went to press, the retail industry was ramping up for Black Friday and Cyber Monday - days after Thanksgiving known by consumers as the kickoff to holiday shopping.

Beginning in September and continuing through mid-to-late December, the National Retail Federation releases data on consumer habits and retailer sentiments. These range from payment and shopping preferences to how retailers address fraud issues. Data were gathered by BIGresearch's polling of thousands of consumers or retailers. Here are a few stats for the 2006 holiday shopping season: