News
Shops busy Saturday, but Christmas bottom line won’t be known for days
West Park Mall was bustling with people Saturday."You can tell it's busy," said Amy McAllister of Cape Girardeau. "People are parking all the way back to Taco Bell."McAllister preferred to wait in the car with... more »
Small Businesses Starting, Thriving Despite Recession
The unemployment rate in Kansas is lower than many parts of the country and one organization in Northeast Kansas is working to keep it that way. Some small businesses are getting started and thriving during... more »
In effort to save the sales season, stores turn to discounts
Soon after Uniquely Leo's Ltd. opened at 10 a.m. Friday, a man came in with a shopping list from his wife.That gave store owner Marcelyn Miller a flicker of hope through the gloom of recent... more »
Black Friday II: With gift cards in hand, shoppers descend on stores
Traditionally, Dec. 26 has been a day to return gifts that didn't fit or weren't to the recipient's taste. But gift cards are turning the day into a shopping bonanza similar to Black Friday."The traffic... more »
Braggin’ rights
Montpelier, VT – Like the elves in the North Pole, there were a number of late nights for Doug Bragg and his cohorts at Bragg Farm this holiday season."The last two weeks, it's really gangbusters,"... more »
Shop talk: Lessons gleaned from the holiday shopping season
I am a student of shopping. I get my thrill from watching people shop, learning why people shop and discovering how shopping habits affect people and the world around them.Not surprisingly, the holiday shopping season... more »
Gift helps gem shop lure visitors to Rice Museum
OR — Jane Guariniello knew what an excellent opportunity the offer presented. When the retailer Sharper Image filed for bankruptcy protection and closed its stores, one of the most desirable retail locations in Hillsboro came... more »
Slow economy hits small-town retailers
Lanesboro -- Stocked with fashionable women's clothing, fabrics and books this holiday shopping season, Cheryl's Apparel lacks one thing necessary to ring up sales.The independent retail shop in Lanesboro is short on customers. Owner Cheryl... more »
Last-Minute Shoppers Hit Stores
Harrisonburg, PA - Those looking to wrap up their holiday shopping flocked to Harrisonburg stores Saturday, hoping to find last-minute deals on the final weekend before Christmas.Parking lots at Harrisonburg Crossing, which includes the Wal-Mart... more »
NCE Seeks Chapter 11 Protection
Milford, OH -- New Creative Enterprises (NCE), a leading designer and manufacturer of outdoor living décor and gift items, decided to seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in an effort to maximize value for its creditors... more »
For Craft Sales, the Recession Is a Help
San Francisco — Feeling the pinch of the economic downturn, some holiday gift-givers are saving money this year by making their own presents or — for those who lack the time or talent — buying... more »
Storefronts that say: Joy to the world
Matthew F. Garwacki doesn't just deck the halls, not when he can wrap yards of nylon ribbon around his store and make it look like a colossal Christmas present waiting to be ripped open.His motto... more »
