Sales

Shares of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters crashed after an abysmal quarterly report Wednesday night. The company behind the Keurig coffeemaker and the single-service K-Cup failed to live up to its guidance, and its 2012 outlook is even more disappointing.

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.

Constant sales have taught shoppers to distrust department store pricing. Can a more honest approach win them back?

The new iPad wasn't the only big thing to be unveiled last week: Taco Bell had a big launch, too -- a new taco shell that's made with Doritos nacho chips. Taco Bell is hoping consumers will scarf down "Doritos Locos Tacos" and drive a turnaround in its lackluster sales.

New CEO Ron Johnson's plan to revamp J.C. Penney is seriously ambitious. No more coupons, almost no more sales, and a complete rethink of the department store model. So why does he think he can pull it off -- and with a chain that has lagged its rivals? Because maybe he can. Here's why:

The latest news on the video game front isn't pretty. Media tracker NPD Group's data reveals that industry sales plunged 21% last month. It's clear that the industry is undergoing a radical shift, but for investors, the more important issue is why.

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.

It's going to be another interesting holiday shopping season as retailers jockey for position for the seasonal spending sprees. Where will buyers go? What will they buy? Let me go out on a limb and predict a few things.

For great deals on Cyber Monday, turn off the computer and go bargain-hunting in brick-and-mortar stores. Between retailers desperate to compete and websites starting sales earlier, e-commerece's big day is losing its online luster.

Switch on the TV or open the newspaper today, and you'd think there was only one day a year to get bargains: Black Friday. But if you're not careful, the year's most-hyped shopping day can be filled with traps. Here's how not to get bamboozled.