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Reuters via Yahoo publishes:

Retailers are gearing up for sharply higher online holiday sales this year, rushing out promotions earlier and luring new customers with free shipping offers.
They hope to capture the business of busy people like mutual fund manager Sasha Kostadinov, who will turn to Amazon.com Inc. for gifts this year instead of searching in Cleveland stores.
“You’re finding more and more online that you never thought you would,” said the Shaker Investments money manager and retail analyst, who plans to buy fancy food items and perfume online. “It’s a one-stop thing.”
Some 20 percent of companies expect online holiday shopping to soar more than 75 percent this year over last year’s sales, according to a survey performed BizRate Research.

MICHAEL LIEDTKE wrote from Myway Report

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Google Inc. (GOOG) snapped up YouTube Inc. for $1.65 billion Monday in deal that catapults the Internet search leader to a leading role in the online video revolution. The all-stock acquisition unites one of the Internet’s marquee companies with one of its rapidly rising stars.

The price makes YouTube, a still-unprofitable startup, by far the most expensive purchase made by Google during its eight-year history.

Although some cynics have questioned YouTube’s staying power, Google is betting that the popular Web site will provide it an increasingly lucrative marketing hub as more viewers and advertisers migrate from television to the Internet.

“We are natural partners to offer a compelling media entertainment service to users, content owners and advertisers,” said Eric Schmidt, Google’s chief executive officer.

YouTube will continue to retain its brand, as well as all 67 employees, including co-founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen.