Category Archives: Retail
US retail sales up 1.3% in time for holidays
WASHINGTON (AFP) – US retail spending jumped 1.3 percent in November led by auto and electronics sales, government data showed Friday in a positive economic sign amid the critical holiday shopping period.
The Commerce Department report, seen as a key to renewed economic growth, was much stronger than analyst expectations for a 0.6 percent rise.
Some special [...]
What Recovery? U.S. Consumers Getting “Dramatically Worse,” Howard Davidowitz Says
Posted Dec 01, 2009 07:30am EST by Aaron Task
According to the National Retail Federation, retail sales over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend were $41.2 billion, up slightly from a year ago, while about 195 million consumers shopped, up from 172 million last year.
Meanwhile, Coremetrics says the average online shopper spent 35% more on Black Friday [...]
Worker Blasts Adidas’ Plan to Move NBA Jersey Production Overseas
by Joshua Rhett Miller, FOXNews.com
The lone major sport with its roots in America could soon see its premier players dunking and driving to the hoop wearing uniforms made in Thailand, costing nearly 100 workers their jobs in upstate New York.
Sports apparel giant Adidas plans to end its contract with Perry, N.Y.-based apparel supplier American [...]
Fighting Back Against Shoppers' Guilt
Retailers Rethink Tactics, Seeing Shame Over Splurging as a Barrier to Recovery
By CHRISTINA PASSARIELLO
In the past year, the guilty pleasure of shopping has turned to plain old guilt.
Guilt has always been part of the shopping experience. But retail executives say it has become such an overriding emotion among shoppers since the economic crisis set in [...]
Couture Artisans Seek French Aid
By MAX COLCHESTER And CHRISTINA PASSARIELLO
PARIS—France’s specialized embroiderers, seamstresses, tailors and hatmakers—once the backbone of a thriving fashion business—are today among the hardest-hit victims of the global slowdown in luxury-goods sales. As fashion houses cancel orders and cut costs, these small businesses are now turning to the French government for help.
On Monday, France’s Prime Minister [...]
Report: Feds probing Toys R Us over baby products
The federal government is reportedly investigating whether Toys R Us Inc. has improperly acted to discourage discounting and keep the prices consumers pay on baby products such as strollers and car seats higher than they otherwise may have been.
The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday that the Federal Trade Commission is examining whether the [...]
Rich and Poor Should Pay Same Price
What would you think of a proposal to create a consumer financial system in which the poor subsidize the well off? How about one that raises costs for those who do not use credit while imposing hefty penalties on those who use it unwisely?
If all that sounds good, read no further. That is the system [...]
Firms Get a Hand With Twitter, Facebook
Entrepreneurs Hire Consultants to Promote Business on Social-Media Sites, but the Extra Cost Is Big Question
Sylvester Chisom began paying a consultant last summer to blog on Twitter, post status updates on Facebook and run marketing campaigns on both sites for his auto-detailing business.
David BucknerSylvester Chisom, front, and Arthur Shivers pay a consultant to market their [...]
The Profits and Perils of Supplying to Wal-Mart
The world’s biggest retailer works with thousands of small suppliers on a regular basis. But landing a contract comes with downsides worth considering before applying