How your location can jack up online shopping prices Fox 10 News – Staff Report If you think you got a great deal during your holiday shopping, would you be mad if you bought the same item as a friend, but they actually paid much less than you did? A Wall Street Journal investigation says […]

For local retailers, are empty shelves a thing of the past? Justine Griffin/Sarasota Herald-Tribune Shoppers don’t have to be the first in line anymore to guarantee going home with the hottest gift for the holidays this year. With brick-and-mortar retailers shifting the way inventories are stocked and shipped to be more competitive with the likes […]

A few bright spots as holiday sales slow Justine Griffin/Sarasota Herald-Tribune Holiday sales slowed this year, leaving retailers with a lackluster season despite doorbuster promotions, extended hours and other incentives. Retail sales on popular gift items grew by 0.7 percent for the two months before Christmas, compared with a 2 percent growth in 2011, according […]

Returning gifts gets easier – and tougher Kelli B. Grant/MarketWatch First, some good news: A third of stores have loosened their return policies during the holiday season, giving shoppers until as late as mid-February to return purchases made in November and December. The bad news: Back in 2011, 37% of stores did so — and […]

Retailers anxious to salvage slow season Duane Marsteller/The Tennessean Retailers hope today begins a strong post-Christmas rush that puts a positive end on an otherwise lackluster holiday selling season. Retail sales in November and December so far have fallen short of initial expectations, despite a strong Black Friday start, reduced discounting and an extra weekend […]

Luxury sales shine in holiday season Justine Griffin/Sarasota Herald-Tribune Jewelry, cars, high-end clothing, trendy electronics and other expensive merchandise showed heightened demand from consumers again this holiday shopping season, as luxury items continued to outpace the rest of the retail sector. Luxury sales as a whole improved significantly last year and have continued to show […]