The latest consumer data from New York-based Nielsen CGA has revealed that Thanksgiving is the most valuable annual occasion for still wine, providing ample opportunity for local bars and restaurants expecting an influx of hometown consumers this week, it says. Wine outperforms spirits, beer, cocktails and soft drinks in that 39 percent of U.S. consumers choose to drink wine when out-of-home during the Thanksgiving period, with significant opportunity for wine-led bars as well as specific dining channels where wine and food pairings are key.

Retailers are preparing for one of their biggest weekends of the year as an estimated 164 million people are already planning to go shopping Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, according to the annual survey released by the Washington, D.C.-based National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics.

Chicago-based Beam Suntory announced that it donated $100,000 to Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit that builds strong, stable and secure military families so they can thrive in the communities that they've worked so hard to protect. The funds will support Holiday Meals for Military, a program providing more than 8,400 family meals across the country this holiday season, run by Operation Homefront.

As consumers purchase turkey, trimmings, desserts and beverages for their Thanksgiving meals, food and beverage retailers tend to see a bump in sales this time of year, according to Nielsen, New York.

According to a survey of top retail chief marketing officers by BDO USA LLP, Chicago, retailers are expressing increased optimism for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales this year due to improving consumer confidence and unemployment numbers.