Anna Spiewak/Commercial Property Executive—The times, they are a-changing. Organic food stores, once dubbed the hippie trend of the West Coast in the 1960s, have slowly transformed from individual ownership to regional representation to national chains, some of them going public, as selective shoppers have embraced healthy eating habits. And investors are starting to take notice. […]
Previously Featured
Analyzing This Year’s Black Friday
Mark Brodie/KJZZ Phoenix—If you’re listening to this while on the way to or home from the mall, there is a pretty good chance you’re not alone. Black Friday has traditionally been the kickoff for the holiday shopping season, but Valley-based retail analyst Jeff Green said there are a few things working against that this year.
Lists handy, shoppers gird for holiday hunt
Justine Griffin/Sarasota Herald Tribune—With Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and three weeks of shopping from now to Christmas, shoppers have more options than ever to get all the gifts on their holiday lists. Southwest Florida moms Melissa Tomasso and Beth McCullagh are two of the 140 million people expected to shop during the […]
Black Friday’s surprise hit: A 29-cent washcloth
Catey Hill/MarketWatch—Most consumers went into Walmart (NYSE:WMT) yesterday hoping to score doorbusters on things like televisions, tablets, bikes and toys. But the retailer has a not-so-dirty little secret: its customers — who risked punches, shoving and stampedes — bought more towels than tablets on Gray Thursday. Yesterday, Walmart stores opened at 6 p.m. and processed […]
Western Pa. retailers enthused about early shopping action
Thomas Olson/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review—If Western Pennsylvania merchants are any indication, retailers will record modestly merrier sales this shopping season. Managers of independent stores — from menswear to toys to women’s boutiques — said Black Friday foot traffic was running ahead of last year’s and sales volumes were up somewhat. “It’s been busy. We’ve been jammed all […]
A Super Bowl of shopping with extra hours and new rules this year
Joan Verdon/The Record—Retailers like to refer to this weekend as the Super Bowl of shopping. This year, however, it will be a whole new ballgame. A number of the leading players are adding extra shopping time with stores opening on Thanksgiving and round-the-clock operations into Friday night. At Willowbrook Mall in Wayne, where most of […]
