consumer trends

Summer Forecast 2011

Captivating KoiIn Japan, koi fish symbolize love and friendship, and perseverance and strength in the face of adversity. Koi are legendary for their longevity. Look for the koi's fluid grace to increasingly accentuate a wide... more »

Back-to-School Sales Expected to be Flat as Parents Practice Restraint, According to NRF

Washington – As they prepare for their annual back-to-school shopping trip, parents this year will make children scour their closets before agreeing to buy any new jeans, pencils or backpacks. According to NRF's 2011 Back-to-School... more »

Experts predict boost in sales during tax holiday

Shoppers scrambling for discounts in a battered economy should drive sales during South Carolina's annual sales tax holiday in three weeks, experts say.The state will suspend its 6 percent sales tax Aug. 5-7, along with... more »

Retail sales could benefit as consumers’ balance sheets heal

After several years of cutting debt and spending, consumers' finances are in better shape than they've been in years. That could provide a boost to the Commerce Department's retail sales report for June due out... more »

June retail sales top forecasts

Retailers beat June gloom last month, delivering surprisingly strong sales results thanks to lower gas prices, widespread discounting and warm weather, which led many shoppers to hit the stores for summer clothing.With the important back-to-school... more »

Retailers Should See Strong Back-to-School Season

Even though the kids have barely gotten settled into the routine at summer camp, in retail land it's already getting to be that time of year again: back-to-school season.If you headed out to the mall... more »

Will County retail numbers spike

Unemployment numbers are sluggish. Home sales and prices are languishing.But one recently released statistic showed promise for the Will County economy. First quarter 2011 retail sales were up 9.88 percent compared to the first quarter... more »

Small retailers shopping the Dallas market expect a solid second half of 2011

While economists try to forecast the second half of this year, wholesalers at the Dallas Market Center say their customers were ready to shop. Attendance at the market center's home and gift show, where retailers... more »