holidays

Retailers preparing for Christmas

Destin — With Halloween over, retailers are gearing up for their busiest time of the year with the fast approaching holiday season.With the national economy just beginning a slow recovery, many retailers are hoping for... more »

Fewer holiday gifts but more cheer in US, poll

Washington — More than half of Americans in a survey out Wednesday say they plan to spend more during the end-of-year holidays this year compared to 2008 as concerns about the economy subside. The projected... more »

Retailers go Grinch on holiday jobs

Newark -- The holiday-season job of stocking store shelves, running a register or wrapping gifts used to be as reliable as Santa at every mall.That was before retailers faced millions of frugal shoppers and months... more »

Small Shops Make Big Play for Holiday Shoppers

Small brick-and-mortar shops that rely on seasonal sales are seeking creative ways to avoid last year's bloodbath of discounting, as cash-strapped consumers are expected to gravitate toward big-box and discount retailers.Toy and gift shop Groovy... more »

Online Retailers Promote Holiday Sales

Washington -- The economy is not only impacting shoppers, but online retailers as well. This holiday season, shoppers can expect to see changes in retail marketing and promotions."Retailers know that times are tough so they... more »

Merchants prepare for a frightful Halloween

Bradenton — In what remains a frightful economy, consumers have plenty of scary Halloween costumes to choose from this year. The most appropriate costume for the year may be the Bernie Madoff mask. But it... more »

Holiday Sales Preview Roundup

Most of the major predictions are now in for the holiday shopping season. Here we've put together a roundup of what various trade associations and research outlets are predicting. Projections range a bit this year.... more »

Holiday shopping top 10 trends: Food, group gifts, eggnog parties

Sure, consumers are sick of bad news and just want to go shopping -- but they're still waiting for the recession's other shoe to drop.And that means that this holiday season, shoppers will be very... more »