Stores focus on safety during overnight holiday openings Miriam Valverde/South Florida Sun-Sentinel Planning an outing to Macy’s or Toys R Us at the break of dawn this weekend for last-minute holiday shopping? Officials for stores that are opening up to 88 hours straight this holiday season assured shoppers that security is a top concern and […]

Retailers try to attract last-minute shoppers on last week before Christmas Kim Leonard/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Retailers are trying to boost sales with longer-than-ever hours and more discounts as shoppers — who fell into a lull between Black Friday and Christmas Eve — get set to begin the last pre-holiday gift-buying weekend. Macy‘s is trumpeting its first […]

DeSoto Square Mall promised a renewal Justine Griffin/Sarasota Herald-Tribune The future of Manatee County’s only enclosed shopping mall may be brighter, now that a company that specializes in turning around ailing centers has bought the retail hub. But Mason Asset Management, the new owner of DeSoto Square Mall, could have a tough slog to turn […]

Retailers hope shoppers pick up the pace Corilyn Shropshire and Erin Chan Ding/Chicago Tribune Debbie Scarlati experienced a bit of anxiety when she realized that Christmas Day was just 11 days away. “Truly, I was a whole week off,” she said, holding three bags at Oakbrook Center on Friday. “I had a little bit of […]

Bricks, mortar, and a techie turn Justine Griffin/Sarasota Herald-Tribune At the Best Buy Mobile store in Sarasota, customers can scan price codes on every item in the store, and some are being rewarded for comparison shopping. The retailer offers special deals to shoppers who use their smartphones to scan “quick response” codes as they shop, […]