Department store gift wrapping is a thing of the past

Dec 15, 2016
Many department stores no longer offer free gift wrapping services because it isn't cost effective.
Flickr

Fast fashion has a new trend

Dec 14, 2016
Customers want green — and not just the color.
Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Stores offer deep online discounts – but is that sustainable?

Dec 7, 2016
There are five Saturdays in December this year. Why is that significant? You get an extra day for last-minute shopping. But if the holiday sales season feels extra-long this year, it’s not just because of the calendar. Stores are offering deals earlier. But is that sustainable? Click the above audio player to hear the full […]
Mario Tama/Getty Images

Warm winters mean investors’ cold shoulder for coat makers

Dec 2, 2016
The market for winter clothing is shrinking, but manufacturers haven’t acted.
Pedestrians walk along wet and slushy streets in Manhattan as warmer temperatures melt snow on January 27, 2016 in New York City.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

After five years, has Giving Tuesday caught on?

Nov 29, 2016
The day is designed to get your mind off buying and onto donating.
A woman carries retail shopping bags during Black Friday events this year in New York City.
Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images

Make Cyber Monday Great Again

Nov 28, 2016
Is Trump's red hat ornament: naughty or nice?
Official Donald J. Trump Shop

Black Friday blues? Maybe VR shopping is the answer

Nov 25, 2016
Heading to your Black Friday shopping destination? You’re probably prepared for a crowded, frantic and stressful time. Wouldn’t skipping the mall be nice? Chinese retail giant Alibaba recently used virtual reality to allow Chinese shoppers to buy items within stores across the world, including Macy’s and Target. But how soon will we see it here?  […]
STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

How JCPenney changed when Marvin Ellison became CEO

Nov 22, 2016
JCPenney's CEO was tasked with making the department store profitable again. He says they will be soon.
Bridget Bodnar/Marketplace

What will the election mean to holiday sales?

Nov 21, 2016
Uncertainty about consumer behavior after the election has retailers nervous
Shoppers leave a Target store after the start of a Black Friday sale during Thanksgiving evening in Los Angeles, California on November 26, 2015. 
MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

It’s Black Friday Cyber November!

Nov 21, 2016
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are no longer days, but an entire month.
Shoppers walk by holiday decor hanging on Tiffany & Co. in New York City on Black Friday last year.
Yana Paskova/Getty Images