retail stores

Every portfolio can use a little refreshing. Why not consider hhgregg, the consumer electronics and appliance retailer that's growing fast at the same time that Best Buy is suffering, battered by the internet?

Many shoppers who took advantage of the early holiday sales in November held back and forced retailers to cut prices as Christmas neared. Despite increases in luxury spending, the results show that mainstream consumers remain focused on discounts.

Some merchants adjusted quickly to the "new normal" of penny-pinching shoppers, but others are still struggling with shrinking consumer budgets or headwinds they were fighting before the bottom fell out. Here's a look at the two groups that are going in two different directions.

With the prospects for economic recovery iffy at best and consumer spending still sluggish, retailers are closing their weakest stores in order to protect profits.

For retailers, this year's back-to-school shopping season is scraping by with a B-minus at midterm. But with some big weeks still to come, there's reason to hope that this year's results will be positive.

Merchants are likely to report a lukewarm May. Chilly weather early and a late Memorial Day will make the month's sales an erratic gauge of retail's recovery -- leaving an opening for bargain-hunting investors.

WalletPop took a sneak peek at Old Navy's nationwide spring makeover on Thursday and liked what it saw. A store at the Atlantic Center Mall in Brooklyn, N.Y., appeared airier, with an oval path cleared to keep the shopping traffic moving around the space. Entering a department is like stepping...

Two years ago, my wife and I walked out of our local Costco Wholesale Corp. (COST) because the checkout lines were too long. That's not a problem any longer. On weekends, the place seems busier than a beehive but it is less crowded than it used to be. People -- mostly middle class from what I can...