This weekend, Americans will mark the unofficial start to summer with barbecues, picnics, beach outings and, of course, shopping. Here are some tips for the budget minded to help you get the biggest bang for your buck.
The federal government says GDP grew at a 2.2% rate in the first quarter, and many pundits are calling that number a disappointment: Here's a primer on exactly what the GDP growth rate is, and why 2.2% is nothing to be bummed about.
The holidays may have come and gone, but when Best Buy posts its quarterly earnings, it's going to very publicly relive them -- whether it wants to or not. Wall Street analysts are generally optimistic, but there reasons for investors to worry.
While Apple%u2019s products and digital media stores continue to thrive, its once-ascendant retail operation is losing some luster. But if stagnant retail growth in Apple Stores is worrisome, it's not time yet to hit the panic button.
The holiday season was a heck of a party for retailers, but consumers are nursing a shopping hangover that'll keep them out of stores for a few months. "Now that those credit card bills are hitting mailboxes, shoppers will cut back in a very significant way," said Britt Beemer of America's Research Group.
Shares of Sears Holdings fell 27% Tuesday on news that the retailer would close as many as 120 poorly performing Sears and Kmart stores -- an unusually harsh response to a cost-cutting measure. Clearly, investors are concerned that the problems run much deeper -- and they're right to worry.
Last minute shoppers gave merchants a solid lift during the final week before Christmas, according to a report from a mall trade group Wednesday. Revenue at stores open at least a year rose 0.9 percent for the week ended Saturday compared with the previous week.
Following a record Black Friday, retail sales hit new heights on Dec. 17 -- the penultimate shopping Saturday before Christmas and a day when retailers trot out themed promotions. It's a sign that many consumers have rebounded from the recession and unleashed their pent-up buying demand.
The holiday season has been strong for retail sales overall, but some chains have still found lumps of coal in their stockings. And as the holiday season winds down, what's bad for retailers may be good for you.
An APA poll a few years back revealed that 80% of Americans expect to be stressed during the holiday season. One source of that stress? The unexpected costs that creep up on us in December. Here are some tips to sidestep some of those pricey problems.
It's stressful enough when your kids' holiday wish is filled with high-tech gadgets that aren't in your budget. What's worse is breaking down and buying them at the last minute because you couldn't think of better alternatives in your price range.
U.S. shoppers spent 15 percent more in online holiday buying compared to last year, after what may have been the busiest week of the season, said research firm comScore on Sunday. Shoppers have spent $30.9 billion online from Nov. 1 through Dec. 16, up from $26.9 billion at the same point last year, said the Reston, Va., company, which tracks Web use.
Today is Free Shipping Day, when nearly 2,000 merchants offer free shipping with delivery by Christmas Eve in the continental United States. Some are even sweetening the deal with one-day savings offers. DailyFinance has an early preview of retailers' top offers, as well as some extra tips to help you plot your shipping strategy for the remainder of the holiday season.
Buy Nothing Christmas and groups like it are on a mission to recast the holidays so that they're richer in meaning, smaller in environmental impact and greater in giving to people less privileged. They also aim to expose the downside of an economy largely reliant on consumer purchases. It's an idea whose time has come.
With the final Christmas countdown begun, the National Retail Federation has upgraded its holiday sales forecast, reflecting growing optimism that much more spending is to come. The NRF now expects holiday sales to rise 3.8% to a record $469.1 billion. That's up from its more modest 2.8 percent forecast made in early October, though it's hardly stellar.