Walmart says Cyber Monday was its biggest online day ever

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Walmart (WMT) said the Monday after Thanksgiving "was the biggest online day in its history for orders."

The retailer has been promoting hundreds of items as part of its week-long cyber sale.

While online sales have surged this season, in-store sales slumped on Black Friday. It was once considered the kickoff to the holiday shopping season, but has declined in importance as retailers spread out their deals, offer more options online, and open their doors on Thanksgiving Thursday.

In fact, Walmart said last week that Thanksgiving was its second-biggest online sales day ever.

And from Thursday to Monday, Walmart said 70% of traffic to its site came from mobile devices.

To grow its slice of the online market, it offered same-day, in-store pick-up on many online deals.

Related: Walmart is hit with protests on Black Friday

Walmart said the most popular Cyber Monday online sellers were:

--Apple iPad mini 16GB

--PS4 500GB Console Bundle (with Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham and LittleBigPlanet 3)

--Nintendo 3DS XL New Super Mario Bros 2 Limited Edition Handheld

--Xbox One Assassins Creed Unity Bundle

--LG 49" LED HDTV

--Skywalker Trampolines 12' Round Trampoline and Safety Enclosure with Blue Spring Pad

--LEGO Giant Creative Tower: 1,600 pieces with storage box

Related: Gun sales boomed in November

First Published: December 2, 2014: 8:43 AM ET

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Gun sales boomed in November

Paul Bastean, owner of Ultimate Defense Firing Range near Ferguson, experienced a boost in gun sales during the riots.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

FBI background checks, which are required for most gun purchases, jumped by about 12% compared to October.

The bureau said it performed 1,803,397 checks in November.

This includes Black Friday, which set a record for gun sales, with 175,000 background checks just on that one day, according to the FBI.

Black Friday is typically a big day for gun sales. But November also saw violence in Ferguson, Missouri following a grand jury's decision to not indict a white police officer for killing an unarmed black man. Local gun sellers said the unrest -- including the first wave in August right after the killing -- spurred a huge increase in gun sales in the St. Louis area as people bought weapons to protect themselves.

Despite the month-to-month increase, background checks in November were down slightly from last year's level.

Related: Ferguson-area gun sales surge

Gun sales are often driven by fear and anxiety. December of 2012 remains the record month for background checks, at 2,783,765. Midway through that month, a gunman killed 26 people, mostly kids, at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. The massacre led to calls to restrict the availability of firearms. A jump in sales, particularly of assault rifles, was attributed to fear of those tighter gun restrictions taking effect; they eventually stalled in Congress.

Related: Gun violence costs taxpayers $500 million

The FBI has administered background checks since November of 1998, to see if potential buyers have criminal histories. The checks are considered the most accurate way to track nationwide gun sales, even though purchases at gun shows and auctions, and between individuals, are often exempt.

First Published: December 2, 2014: 7:47 AM ET

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The world's 10 richest recording artists

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Madonna, 56, can really play the role of a material girl with a net worth of $800 million, according to Wealth-X.

The average age of the musicians on the list is 51, with 39 years separating Paul McCartney, the oldest artist to make the list at 72, and Beyoncé, the youngest member at age 33.

Here's the rundown of the biggest money makers in the music recording industry:

1. Madonna Ciccone

With more than three decades in the music world, Madge has sold 300 million records and counting, and has amassed a net worth of $800 million, according to Wealth-X.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee has signed many lucrative contracts, including one worth $120 million with Live Nation in 2007, according to the report.

The singer, songwriter and actress is notoriously close-lipped when it comes to her business ventures, but has endeavors in the world of fashion, children's books and movie directing.

Related; Hip hop's favorite brands

2. Paul McCartney

Being a member of The Beatles shot him to fame, but McCartney's time with the band only brought him $7 million, Wealth-X reported.

Now, thanks to a successful solo career, the music legend is worth an estimated $660 million.

McCartney's wealth should only continue to grow in a few years when he will reportedly be able to reclaim the copyrights to the Beatles catalog that helped make him a household name.

3. Andre Romelle Young (Dr Dre)

With a net worth of $650 million, no one will forget about Dr. Dre.

The 49-year-old rapper and producer made his solo debut in 1992, and is also the founder of Beats Electronics and Aftermath Entertainment. He sold the high-end headphone company to Apple (AAPL, Tech30) earlier this year for a whopping $3 billion.

Related: Iconic Madonna memorabilia up for sale

4. Sean John Combs (Diddy, Puff Daddy)

Sean Combs has gone through many stage names during his music career, but that hasn't impacted his earnings power.

Combs, 45, has an estimated net worth of $640 million.

The Harlem-born rapper turned entrepreneur is involved in many different business ventures off the stage, including recently-launched music cable network Revolt TV and a strategic alliance with Ciroc vodka.

5. Celine Dion

The Canadian singer known for belting out love songs is worth an estimated $630 million, according to Wealth-X.

Dion, 46, signed a hefty contract to perform in Las Vegas until 2019, and has been named the most profitable act in Vegas. However, recent family issues have postponed her shows.

6. Paul David Hewson (Bono)

The lead singer of U2 (and his sunglasses) is one of the most recognized faces in the music industry, and has a net worth $590 million.

U2 has sold more than 150 million records globally, taken home 22 Grammy Awards and is rumored to be gearing up for a world-wide tour in 2015.

The Irish musician is also managing director and co-founder of private equity firm Elevation Partners, and the band owns most of its music catalog.

Bono, 54, who has several nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize, co-founded (Red), an organization that teams up with the private sector to fight AIDS in Africa.

7. Mariah Carey

Carey has been a major player on the pop charts for more than two decades, and now has an estimated net worth of $520 million.

The global superstar has sold more than 200 million records worldwide and has won five Grammy Awards and numerous American Music Awards. She was also a judge on the TV show American Idol.

8. Shawn Corey Carter (Jay-Z)

He might have 99 problems ... but an empty bank account isn't one. Jay-Z, 45, has a net worth of around $510 million.

The 19 Grammy-Award winning rapper is involved in many business ventures and is the founder of entertainment company Roc Nation and the majority owner of 40/40 clubs.

The hip-hop mogul co-founded Rocawear in 1999 and sold the rights to the clothing brand in 2007 for $204 million.

Related: Jay Z likes $300 champagne. So he buys the company

9. Sir Elton Hercules John

The "Rocket Man" has an estimated net worth of $450 million, thanks to a music career spanning more than four decades and his recent performances on stage in Las Vegas.

In 2011, Elton John, 67, formed a new music company called the Rocket Music Entertainment Group and the following year he launched Rocket Sports Management.

10. Beyoncé Knowles-Carter

At 33, the singer and actress has an estimated net worth of $440 million.

Queen B headlined the 46-show Mrs. Carter Show World Tour in 2013 (she's married to Jay-Z), which, according to Billboard, grossed $66.4 million in ticket sales.

Her self-titled album "Beyoncé" dropped in December 2013 with almost no publicity and broke iTunes records with more than 800,000 albums sold in just its first three days.

Yonce is also very involved in the fashion world: In October, Beyonce announced plans to team up with Topshop on an activewear line and she founded fashion line House of Deréon in 2004 with her mom.

She founded Parkwood Entertainment, an entertainment and management company, in 2008.

The hip-hop superstar has also landed several endorsement deals with companies, including American Express (AXP) and L'Oreal. She's been a face of Pepsi (PEP) since 2002, and reportedly signed a $50 million contract in 2012 with the soda company.

When you combine Beyoncé's and husband Jay-Z's wealth, Wealth-X puts the couple's net worth at $950 million -- just shy of becoming a billionaire power couple.

First Published: December 2, 2014: 9:53 AM ET

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Foreign name? Expect a tougher job hunt

Jobseekers with "foreign sounding" names are often disciminated against, a study found.

LONDON (CNNMoney)

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development found that a foreign name makes the job search harder for applicants across all 17 developed countries it surveyed.

In the United States, the situation is the worst for people with distinctively "Black names," such as Jamal and Lakisha, researchers noted.

They have to send out twice as many resumes.

While the apparent discrimination is a global problem, not all immigrants are treated the same.

In Switzerland, for example, immigrants of Portuguese origin are nearly on a par with their Swiss rivals. But men of former Yugoslav origin have to send out 2.5 resumes for every one submitted by a Swiss applicant with the same qualifications.

Related: U.S. losing its appeal for foreign students

Other minorities who suffer most include Nigerians in Austria, Turks in Belgium, immigrants from the Middle East in Sweden, and those from Africa and Germany looking for a job in Ireland.

All have to send more than twice as many applications to secure an interview.

The "name discrimination" mostly hurts the children of immigrants because they often have the same level of education as native job seekers, and a good grasp of the language. Their names, however, still sound "foreign."

If they do manage to secure an interview, job seekers with an immigrant background face a more level playing field as the recruitment process advances, the report found.

Related: Bank of America fined $2 million for race discrimination

Here's a list of the worst call-back rates, representing the number of applications migrants have to send relative to those without an immigrant background:

Native Swedes of Middle-Eastern origin in Sweden 2.5

Men from former Yugoslavia in Switzerland 2.5

Africans in Ireland 2.4

Turks in Belgium 2.1

Blacks in the U.S. 2

Nigerians in Austria 2

Russians in Finland 2

Children of African immigrants in France 2

Related: 'Brutally honest' cover letter leads to job

First Published: December 1, 2014: 8:55 AM ET

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Finally, Girl Scout cookie sales go online

Girl Scouts have traditionally sold their cookies face to face. But finally, sales are going online.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

For the first time ever, Girl Scout cookies will be sold online through a national platform called Digital Cookie. This breaks the organization's ban on e-sales of Thin Mints and Samoas.

The 112-year-old organization had preferred that its scouts engage in door-to-door sales, or send their parents to the office to get their colleagues to sign up for boxes of the famous treats. It's supposed to be a learning experience for the young scouts.

But the Girls Scouts seem to have realized that the Internet can also teach the girls valuable skills.

"Digital Cookie will also allow customers to help girls learn 21st-century skills grounded in technology, along with valuable interpersonal skills girls will acquire through their continued participation in traditional booth and door to door sales," the organization said.

At various times, individual Girl Scouts have tried to peddle the cookies online, including Honey Boo Boo, who tried last year to sell the cookies through her Facebook (FB, Tech30) page. But it was reported at the time the Scouts ended the online operation, and have discouraged other attempts, too. (A spokeswoman for the Girls Scouts declined to comment on the Honey Boo Boo situation.)

Most of all, the organization wanted to level the playing field for its 2.3 million Girl Scouts. The group didn't want extra-savvy scouts (or parents) deploying advanced Web skills to build an online cookie empire and gain an edge over their peers.

The organization is expected to launch its online sales on Dec. 12. The traditional cookie selling season begins in January.

First Published: December 1, 2014: 8:03 AM ET

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Amazon deploys army of robots in its next gen warehouses

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

The online mega-retailer on Monday unveiled its next-generation fulfillment centers, complete with gigantic robotic arms and machines to help prepare customer orders.

Back-end improvements may never be seen by customers, but will reduce the time between when an order is placed and when it arrives on a doorstep, Amazon said. It may also help prevent the kind of fiasco Amazon suffered last year when many orders weren't delivered in time for Christmas.

The 10 higher-tech fulfillment centers will "increase speed of delivery while enabling greater local selection at lower costs for our customers," Amazon senior vice president Dave Clark said in a statement.

Related: Where to find Cyber Monday deals

Amazon has deployed a total of 15,000 Kiva robots, which look like large orange Roombas. The robots pick up and deliver entire warehouse racks to employees, cutting down on the time an employee might spend walking to collect items in an order.

"They're like NFL linemen -- they're about 350 pounds, lift about 750 pounds, they're fast and super efficient," Clark told CNNMoney.

Other improvements include better systems to unpack a truck of inventory. The company says it has cut the process from hours to 30 minutes, in some cases.

The unveiling was strategically timed for Cyber Monday, when retailers, shoppers and, frankly, reporters are focused on the flurry of online shopping. But experts and data indicate that the online frenzy is less and less concentrated on the Monday after Black Friday, and instead spread out throughout the holiday shopping season.

Even more technology powers Amazon's next generation warehouses.

First Published: December 1, 2014: 9:39 AM ET

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Soaring ratings for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

This year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade brought in over 22 million viewers for NBC.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

NBC's telecast of the annual New York City parade averaged 22.6 million viewers between 9 a.m. and noon Eastern -- the second-largest audience for the parade in the past decade.

The largest audience came last year when 25.2 million tuned in. (That spike was a surprise because the parade's ratings are pretty steady every year. In 2012, the average audience was 22.4 million.)

In a press release, NBC noted that the parade -- which was hosted by Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, and Al Roker -- was one of the highest-rated telecasts on TV this season, beating "every primetime non-sports telecast on the Big 4 networks."

NBC works with Macy's to produce the "official" telecast of the parade. CBS broadcasts an "unofficial" version along the parade route; ratings for the show weren't immediately available on Friday.

After the parade on Thursday, NBC televised another Thanksgiving tradition, the "National Dog Show Presented by Purina," and it averaged 10.3 million viewers for the network, down slightly from 10.7 million viewers last year.

And NBC's primetime NFL offering of the San Francisco 49ers taking on the Seattle Seahawks netted the Peacock a preliminary audience of 17.7 million viewers, also down slightly from the year before.

First Published: November 28, 2014: 5:44 PM ET

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