Tablets, Smartphones Drive Electronic Sales Quentin Fottrell / SmartMoney Sales of electronics surged last month, but that rise may be only due to a just a few star items. Consumers are snapping up portable tablets and Smartphones, analysts say, and overlooking TVs and PCs. Sales at electronics and appliance stores provided one of the few […]

Retailers Stuffing Inboxes Before Stockings Quentin Fottrell / SmartMoney If shoppers thought the “12 Days of Christmas, Itemized” was an example of true love or consumerism gone wild, they may want to check their inboxes. Stores have ramped up email blasts to their most loyal customers this year to the point some may regret giving […]

Handling Those Holiday Returns Stores may be more flexible this year, but a refund isn’t guaranteed. AnnaMaria Andriotis / SmartMoney Even as the holiday shopping season winds down, retailers are bracing for another wave of big crowds. Only this time around they won’t be shopping — but looking for refunds. Even as the holiday shopping […]

Last Year’s 5 Biggest Consumer Snafus Quentin Fottrell / SmartMoney It’s difficult to choose the top/worst scandals of 2011 for consumers. There were corporate data breaches, wireless customers left incommunicado, and ill-fated new fees such as Bank of America’s $5 debit card charge. SmartMoney.com asked a range of experts for thefive biggest/worst snafus of 2011, […]

DSW store, Carter’s coming to Fresno’s Villaggio Bethany Clough / Fresno Bee A DSW shoe store and a Carter’s children’s clothing store are scheduled to open in the Villaggio shopping center in July. The new-to-Fresno stores are under construction in the shopping center on North Blackstone Avenue, between Ulta Beauty and the Ethan Allen Design […]

Deals lure late holiday shoppers Discounts help retailers snag last-minute sales Max Jarman / The Arizona Republic The deep discounts, extended store hours and shipping deals that drew record crowds on Black Friday and Cyber Monday have helped make the 2011 holiday shopping season much brighter than expected for retailers. As the clock ticks down […]