trends

Here's some counter-intuitive news: People are buying more home products to fill their smaller abodes. Home furnishings store sales are expected to rise in April, May and June to $23.2 billion, up nearly 8% from a year ago.

Wondering what looks and styles will transfer from the Fashion Week runways to the mall this autumn? We got the inside scoop from fashion directors at Macy's, J.C. Penney, Banana Republic and Forever 21.

Ah, Facebook: It's where you banter with "friends," share vacation photos and "like" everything from candy bars to political parties -- so why not shop there, too? Now, retailers are making it easier to do just that.

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.

When AmberDawn McCall got her invitation to the prom in Tri-Cities, Washington, she jumped at the opportunity. "A chance to dress up and go out dancing with my husband? Sign me up!" she told WalletPop. Yes, you read that right. McCall has a husband -- and six children -- and is part of a growing...

The economy has had more than its share of trouble lately: Japan's earthquake comes on top of rising oil and food prices, political turmoil in the Middle East and a crop of government austerity measures. But investing opportunities lie hidden behind the bad news.

Let's take the politics out of the debate over public sector unions and their benefits, and look strictly at the figures. When you strip away the rhetoric, you can chart two macroeconomic trends and two patterns of fiscally foolish assumptions that have put both states and unions into this mess.

A year ago, few expected Angry Birds or Groupon to be among 2010's stars, but the underlying trends that powered their success were plain enough. So picking individual companies to rise or fall this year isn't worthwhile. What is? Identifying the trends that will move them all.

The number of Fortune 1,000 board members who have been tapped to lead the companies whose boards they served on has more than tripled in the past 12 months. The reason is poor succession planning, and the results may be problematic both for those businesses and the corporate world at large.

A new study shows that college students spend 41% less time studying than they did 50 years ago. The good news: Technology may have eliminated a lot of wasteful drudge work.