Last Minute Holiday Shopping; Kobe Bryant's Knee Injury; Mike Tyson Back in the Spotlight
BOLDUAN: And welcome back to NEW DAY. With less than a week until Christmas, retailers are going into overdrive to lure in last-minute shoppers and deal hunters into their stores. Some strategies include extended shopping hours, free shipping and of course big discounts. CNN's Pamela Brown is live in New York's Harold's Square with much more. So what can we get, Pamela?</s>PAMELA BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, the amount of discounts stores are offering this season up 13 percent. A big reason is because of the holiday shopping season was shortened by six days. So you're seeing stores like Macy's right behind me ramping up sales, staying open around the clock trying to lure in those, you know, customers, trying to beat the competition. As one retailer put it, we are in it to win it. And if you're one of those last-minute shoppers like me, well, that may actually work in your favor.</s>BROWN (voice-over): The Christmas crush is on. And this year it seems the shoppers have the edge. (</s>On camera): So who's in a better position this holiday shopping season, the customer or the retailer?</s>HITHA PRABHAKAR, CHIEF RESEARCH OFFICER, AITCHPE RETAIL ADVISORY: The customer is definitely in a better position this holiday season. And one of the reasons why is because of weather. Weather has really had an impact on shopping. People haven't been going out because the weather has been so bad. Therefore, retailers are doing everything they can to get those shoppers in to start spending some money. And that means even more discounts.</s>BROWN (voice-over): Big discounts as high as 80 percent, meaning some stores will be losing money just to get inventory off the shelves according to retail experts.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But there were actually better deals after Black Friday, like the week after.</s>BROWN: Stores like JCPenney are dramatically dropping prices on certain items for Super Saturday, the second busiest shopping day of the year behind Black Friday. Wal-Mart is offering gift certificates with certain purchases and taking the price match guarantee program to a whole new level by paying back customers the difference if a competitor is advertising a lower price. So this year if you're a procrastinator, you're in luck. Toys "R" Us and select Macy's locations are staying open around the clock through Christmas Eve, hoping to lure in those last-minute shoppers.</s>PRABHAKAR: If you are a procrastinator, this might work in your favor. You might actually come under budget because so many discounts are happening. And we're not just talking about discounts on apparel and shoes and accessories. We're talking about electronics, big TVs, stereos, headphones.</s>BROWN: And if you'd rather not face the crush of last-minute crowds, retailers are making online shopping more convenient than ever with free shipping and quicker delivery. EBay is offering same-day delivery service and Amazon is offering one-day shipping on orders placed as late as midnight on December 23rd, and offering express delivery in certain cities.</s>BROWN: Now according to the National Retail Federation, 32 million people haven't even begun their holiday shopping and the average holiday shopper has only completed half of their shopping. So bottom line here, Chris and Kate, expect big crowds in stores tomorrow on Super Saturday. Again, the second busiest shopping day of the year. Back to you guys.</s>BOLDUAN: Also big crowds and big deals. So you might want to brave those crowds because that's a good thing.</s>BROWN: Yes.</s>BOLDUAN: Thanks, Pamela.</s>CUOMO: All right. So Kobe Bryant, he went down again. Was it his Achilles? Is he done? There's so many questions swirling around the Lakers star. But lucky for you we have answers in the form of Andy Scholes with this morning's "Bleacher Report." What's the deal, my friend?</s>ANDY SCHOLES, BLEACHER REPORT: Chris, you know, this is devastating news for Kobe and the Lakers. You know, he worked so hard to come back from that torn Achilles injury. And he's starting to look like himself. And he's going to have to go back to the bench with a fracture in his left knee. Now it happened during Tuesday's win over the Grizzly's. Kobe and Tony Allen, they got tangled up on this play, and Kobe went to the ground holding his knee. Now no one thought much of it at the time because Kobe actually played the rest of the game, even hit a big three-pointer to seal the victory. But the knee kept bothering him. So they had to have an MRI and it revealed the fracture. Now no surgery is going to be needed for this injury. Kobe is just going to have to wait for it to heal. It's going to take about six weeks, they say, and -- but, you know, guys, Kobe, he's 35 years old and as they say, 35 ain't 25 so we'll have to see if he can come back from his injury and get to looking like his former self like he was almost starting to do after that torn Achilles. But guys, another tough, tough injury for a guy to come back from.</s>CUOMO: When you showed it that second time, Andy, you watch the knee buckle a little bit. You know it's never a good thing. They say this isn't as big a deal, this injury, not just from a surgical standpoint but from the rehab. And let's be honest, if anybody can do it, he can. So what are we hearing in terms of the predictions of comeback?</s>SCHOLES: Yes, you know, some people are actually doubting him. But Kobe took to Twitter yesterday to -- you know to kind of put those to bed. He tweeted, "broken, not beaten." And as you said, Chris, you know if anyone can come back from this, you know it's going to be Kobe. He came back from the torn Achilles in six months, which you rarely, rarely see. And he's got a little extra incentive, you know, because he just signed that a new shiny two-year $48 million extension. So you can guarantee you're going to see Kobe back in a Lakers uniform this season.</s>CUOMO: But this is a man with legacy on his mind. And boy, has he proven people how tough he is. The Achilles, I've never seen anything like it. Hopefully he'll repeat himself here.</s>BOLDUAN: Amazing.</s>CUOMO: Speaking of legacy, Mike Tyson, you know, how he will be remembered. He's trying to deal with that as well. What do we know about him? Some developments there.</s>SCHOLES: Yes, you know, we recently saw that commercial of Iron Mike making up with Evander Holyfield in that foot locker ad. This week he sat down with Rachel Nichols to talk about a number of topics including his relationship with Holyfield.</s>RACHEL NICHOLS, HOST, UNGUARDED: When you look back on it now, what do you think?</s>MIKE TYSON, FORMER BOXING CHAMPION: Well, I'm sorry I bit his ear. I really am sorry I bit it. I like Evan, he's a good guy. Really good guy.</s>SCHOLES: Yes, you can watch this entire interview on "UNGUARDED WITH RACHEL NICHOLS." That's tonight at 10:30 Eastern right here on CNN. As I said, guys, they cover a lot of topics, including how to keep a pet tiger. I'd love to hear the answer to that one.</s>BOLDUAN: Are you in the market?</s>SCHOLES: I would love to have a tiger for Christmas. A little cob.</s>PEREIRA: They grow up, Andy.</s>BOLDUAN: That's -- I don't -- yes.</s>CUOMO: Good luck with that.</s>BOLDUAN: This might be the last time we talk to you, Andy.</s>PEREIRA: Gosh, so funny. I'd get rid of it.</s>BOLDUAN: Thanks, Andy.</s>PEREIRA: It could end up being our must see moment. But it isn't. Who is stronger and meaner than Jean Claude Van Damme you ask? One name, that man, Chuck Norris, one-upping the muscle from Brussels with a split stunt of his own. A split between trucks, those are kid stuff. Here he splits between two -- wait for it -- airplanes with a squad of special forces on his cowboy hat.</s>BOLDUAN: And set up like a Christmas tree. I don't need to tell you it's all CGI because you know that, of course created by a Hungarian Production House.</s>BOLDUAN: Are you sure?</s>PEREIRA: It is still, as my friend Stephanie Elam, would say, awesome sauce. I bet Chuck Norris could actually pull this off.</s>BOLDUAN: Because of his hat? Is that solid?</s>CUOMO: I don't like Chuck Norris and awesome sauce.</s>PEREIRA:: : Well, that's too bad.</s>BOLDUAN: The only way to respond to Chuck Norris is with thumbs up, Chuck Norris.</s>CUOMO: You know how you can tell it's fake? The split is too even.</s>BOLDUAN: That -- you don't go to that?</s>PEREIRA: Me and his</s>CUOMO: That's the giveaway.</s>BOLDUAN: Yes.</s>PEREIRA: It's kind of awesome and it's festive for the holidays, our gift to you.</s>BOLDUAN: Thumbs up, Chuck Norris.</s>CUOMO: A man who he says so much by not saying a damn word. He's amazing.</s>BOLDUAN: We should --</s>CUOMO: Yes, right?</s>BOLDUAN: Learn something from that.</s>CUOMO: We should all -- yes, starting with small women with blonde hair. Starting --</s>BOLDUAN: Or large men that have the last name Cuomo.</s>CUOMO: Continue.</s>BOLDUAN: OK. Coming up next on NEW DAY, could the hit show "Duck Dynasty" be over? The show's starts are threatening to walk over the suspension of Phil Robertson, the patriarch of the family. The latest on this controversy that just won't go.</s>CUOMO: Dennis Rodman, what are his plans for a big basketball game between America and North Korea. May hit a roadblock, we'll tell you why. A live report, Rodman news.