holidays

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 »

For Retailers, Holiday Season Has No Place To Go But Up

Retailers won't uncork much champagne this holiday season, as worries over jobs and the economy likely will take a lot of the cheer out of gift buying.But at least things won't be as gloomy as... more »

Layaway plans making a comeback for holiday shopping season

Nostalgic shoppers are more likely to find something in stores this holiday season that hasn't been widely available for a long time -- layaway programs. Driven by the credit crunch and sagging economy, Toys R... more »

Signs building that holiday retailing will be brighter

Washington — From Intel Corp. to TJX Cos., the outlook for the U.S. retail holiday season is becoming more optimistic.Intel, the world's biggest chipmaker, cited stronger consumer demand in projecting that its sales in the... more »

Holiday-season retail jobs expected to be flat

Washington — Competition for holiday retail jobs could be fierce this year, according to several recent surveys, as stores cautiously hire in the face of flatlining sales and budget-conscious customers.Stores typically begin bringing on temporary... more »