Shares of Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) rallied Monday, as the world's largest online retailer played a key role in the Cyber Monday frenzy. 

Amazon.com's (NASDAQ:AMZN) stock shed Thursday after Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) decided to stop selling the online retailer's Kindle products, according to reports of a Wal-Mart memo sent to store managers yesterday. 

Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) late Tuesday reported a 58 percent drop in quarterly profit, as the online retail giant pushes ahead with heavy spending and a dramatic expansion at the expense of margins.

Online retailers like Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) are among the stocks to watch in the final days of 2011 and into next year, as US holiday spending on the web reaches new highs, according to recent data from comScore (NASDAQ:SCOR).

Both Walmart and Amazon began in highly competitive environments. Sam Walton poured nearly all his assets into the first Walmart store amid a flurry of discount stores the same year K-mart and Target were formed. 

U.S. stock futures looked set to extend gains on Wednesday after benchmark indexes finished at record highs in the previous session, as investors awaited some key testimony from Fed chairman Ben Bernanke. 

In a move that follows the lead of another Canadian retailer and trumps its earnings announcement, Canadian Tire (TSE: CTC.A) plans to spin off its stores into a real estate investment trust. The stock exploded as high as 18 per cent from Wednesday's close, but has calmed down since the market open. 

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. (TSE:ATD.B), the biggest independent convenience store operator in North America, said its quarterly profit gained 56 percent, but results still fell short of analyst expectations. 

Sawyer, whose new position is effective in April, is taking the job at Rona after spending 33 years at grocery chain Metro, most recently as COO. 

Daily deals site Groupon (NASDAQ:GRPN) Friday saw its shares bounce back from steep losses in the previous session, as it announced that it is replacing CEO Andrew Mason.