cost

Given the current economy, there's a high value placed on toys that last a long time. One of those products is my personal favorite: Legos. That's why I'm particularly excited for this month. To celebrate the "dynamic" nature of the toy bricks, Toys R Us is partnering with Lego to kick off...

The job situation just refuses to right itself. New jobless claims didn't fall as much as expected last week, and the number of people receiving unemployment checks continued to climb. Though the "jobless recovery" notion has become pretty firmly implanted in the American consciousness, the pain...

"Better than expected" is the new catchphrase for retailers, most of whom posted August sales that were weak but not as bad as many had forecast. Sales reported Thursday showed that shoppers continue to focus on must-have items such as food and toiletries, while luxury sales are dragging....

It can't be a good omen that signs for back-to-school sales popped up in many stores around the 4th of July. Retailers, however, have little choice but to use every legal means at their disposal to entice shoppers to come to their establishments. That means deals and discounts -- lots and lots of...

There's more to life than layoffs --there are also pay freezes and wage cuts. Indeed, the number of companies cutting salaries or implementing freezes has doubled since January of this year, according to a new report by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. Playing with pay is hardly surprising in...

The only people who don't know about text messages these days are 90-year-olds and infants. Even if you don't use the feature, it is available on nearly every phone in use. Recently, text messaging overtook voice use on cell phones for the first time, indicating that texting is here to stay. Even...

Have retail sales turned the corner? Many chains reported that same-store sales were merely awful instead of cataclysmic. The major stock indexes rallied on the new indicating that investors are beginning to believe predictions that the economy may turn around late this year or early next...

Shares of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) are trading down today after Chief Executive Mike Duke told NBC's "Today" show that he sees "a lot of stress" in the economy and that the recession will not end quickly. The comments are hardly a surprise. Same-store sales at the world's largest retailer...

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) may have gotten hit by the Easter bunny (it is blaming today's weak sales report on a late Easter holiday), but it expects to rebound in April. Other retailers posted decent results today, indicating that depressed consumers are getting a bit more cheerful. Wal-Mart's...

Costco (COST) has a large line of private label products. People who do not want to buy name-brand products and pay the premiums can buy similar products created for Costco and buy them at a substantial discount. The trend is moving to Wal-Mart (WMT) and, because of its size, the move could cost...