retailers

July retail sales were solid, with Costco, Macy's, JC Penney, Nordstron and Saks Fifth Avenue all beating expectations. Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, the retail consultancy, says we could be having the best back-to-school selling season since 2006.

In an attempt to turn around flagging sales, Gap has launched a new brand devoted to jeans from 1969, the year the company was founded. But can retro styles alone bring back its old popularity?

The nation's big retailers are betting on exclusive lines to ring up back-to-school sales, and also targeting kids and teens where they wile away the hours -- online -- with digital campaigns designed to both entertain and stoke a social-shopping experience tailor-made for the tech-savvy generation.

We got lots of reaction to our article about how changes in debit and credit card swipe fees may affect you. Swipe fees are the charges retailers pay when they allow you to use plastic. One question kept coming up: "Do I pay those fees when I use my debit card?" Regina Lewis explains.

Retail stocks surged Thursday, as June same-store sales sparked investor euphoria. The jump probably stood out even more sharply against a still-tough economy for many U.S. consumers. However, if this sudden elation has you thinking about snapping up retail shares yourself, make sure you shop with more than a little caution.

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."

Online retailer Overstock.com ended its last fiscal year on a strong note, and now it's gearing up for an international expansion. Outspoken CEO Patrick Byrne discusses the company, as well as his views on sales tax, short selling and the economy.

Men, who have endured slightly higher unemployment rates than women, have been taking on more of the household shopping, according to a recent report. The trend hasn't boded well for stores: On average, men spend less than women on each trip.

Retailers are getting back to business after the recession and showing stronger earnings, making them attractive targets for private equity investors -- and each other.

Retailers forecast that 2011 will be a year spent dealing with inflation, expanding stores and trying to wean shoppers off their markdown habit. Faced with rising costs that are pushing their prices higher, merchants say they have to focus on growing sales, regardless of the economic pressures.