Bargain Shopping

Outlet Stores Are In: Their Shift from Overstock to Au Courant

Outlet stores have come a long way, baby. No longer mere repositories of last season's cast-offs, factory stores are now among the healthiest retail sectors, hawking new, trendy items made expressly for them. Credit the recession for the change -- and for more reasons than you'd expect.

Outlet Stores Are In: How They Went from Overstock Bins to Au Courant

Outlet stores have come a long way, baby. No longer mere repositories of last season's cast-offs, factory stores are now among the healthiest retail sectors, hawking new, trendy items made expressly for them. Credit the recession for the change -- and for more reasons than you'd expect.

Could This Be the Cure for Walmart's Dollar Store Blues?

Since the Great Recession began, Walmart has been facing heavy competition from dollar stores. In response, it recently opened the first of many Walmart Express stores. Stock analysis firm Trefis explores what effect these new smaller stores will have on the future value of the world's largest retailer.

Will 'Low Prices' Woo Shoppers Back to Walmart?

A few years ago, Walmart reinvented itself with fewer items on the shelves, neater stores and less focus on price. It didn't work. The retail giant has seen seven straight quarters of falling sales. So Walmart is returning to its roots -- the old variety of products, and "low prices, every day."

Bargain Hunters Boost Dollar General's Profit

Discount retailer Dollar General reported first-quarter earnings Tuesday, beating Wall Street estimates, as budget-conscious consumers continue to bargain hunt for everyday items.

Savings Experiment: Hunting the Rare Zhu Zhu Pet

Where do you find what's hard to find? With the holidays around the corner, finding that great item becomes all the more urgent. So, with Zhu Zhu Pets on the brain -- my 5-year-old girl really wannnnnnntttsss them for Christmas -- I set out to put some of my best-tested methods up for a comparison.