holidays

2020 holiday shopping season reflects record sales

Record holiday season retail sales during the last two months of 2020 reflected the recovering economy but also got a boost from consumer emotions after a stressful year, Jack Kleinhenz, chief economist for National Retail... more »

Report reveals Valentine’s Day spending to total $21.8 Billion

Just over half (52%) of U.S. adults plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, spending a total of $21.8 billion, according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper... more »

November retail sales give holiday season solid start

November retail sales dipped from the month before but still showed the sixth consecutive monthly year-over-year gain by government calculations and set the stage for a healthy holiday shopping season compared with last year despite... more »

MSA details results of 2020 Museum Store Sunday event

The Museum Store Association (MSA) noted this year’s Museum Store Sunday event was successful, despite the pandemic. Retail operations support the museums in which they operate and Museum Store Sunday is an important annual event... more »

Imports remain strong after setting new records this holiday season

Imports remain strong after setting new records this fall as retailers stocked up both stores and warehouses for the holiday season and met new demands for quick delivery of online orders, according to the monthly... more »

Gift Shop takes a road trip to Laurel, Mississippi

Our editor is on the road this fall and winter and stopping at lots of small retailers along the way. The first stop is Laurel, Mississippi. Get an up-close look at the great display and... more »

Consumers embrace early holiday deals

An estimated 186.4 million consumers took advantage of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and shopped in-store and online this year, according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights... more »

Shopify experiences record Black Friday sales

Shopify shared its record-setting Black Friday sales of $2.4 billion* from the independent and direct-to-consumer brands on the platform worldwide. On Nov. 27, from the start of Black Friday in New Zealand through the end... more »