News

U.S. Retailers to Report Grim Results

When retailers report December sales on Thursday, the picture won't be pretty.Sales at stores open at least a year -- a key barometer of retail health -- are expected to show an average decline of... more »

Retailers offer many happy returns

Stores and their shoppers are viewing after-holiday returns in a whole new light this year. Many retailers recognize that cash-strapped consumers will bring back more gifts than ever and have loosened their return policies.The changes... more »

Wii, Uggs among few bright spots for retailers

The presents have been unwrapped, the tree taken down. And Santa still hasn't brought you that Wii. Don't worry. You are not alone. Despite the economic gloom and doom that saddled this Christmas shopping season,... more »

Danbury-area retailers find Christmas sales mixed

If you run the kind of business where customers enjoy a therapeutic massage or get excited at the sight of a rawhide chew toy, you may not have fared too badly this Christmas season.But if... more »

Stores courting gift-cardholders

With retail gift cards losing part of their luster the past holiday season, some Toledo retailers are trying to woo new customers by accepting their competitors' gift cards. For the fourth year, Culture Clash, a... more »

Return Line: Retailers Brace for Step-Up in Exchanges

Consumers are expected to return more holiday purchases than usual this year, adding to pressure on retailers' bottom lines after a disappointing season.Some shoppers tempted by deep discounts to buy things for themselves or others... more »

Downtown Cincinnati retailers wrapping up better-than-expected holiday

For a year when downtown retailers expected dismal holiday sales, the stockings actually arrived half-full.They might not have seen the same-size receipts as in 2007, but many downtown merchants and restaurant operators say activity beat... more »

South Tampa boutique echoes eco movement

South Tampa, FL — Jennifer Dutkowsky has spent much of her life in western Massachusetts, where recycling is a reflex and shoppers go out of their way to search for organic, eco-friendly or all-natural products."People... more »