This will go down as one of the earliest and most promotional Black Fridays in history. Many stores opened earlier than ever before and retailers offered unbelievable sales and discounts to get people shopping. |
Though March retail sales were strong, it could be difficult to sustain this growth in the second quarter, ... Year-over-year comparisons will become more difficult and the economy is still facing lingering concerns including rising energy costs and instability in Iraq. |
Though Mother's Day celebrations and gifts will vary, many consumers see this as an important day to honor the women in their lives. With all the sacrifices mom has made over the years, Mother's Day is an opportunity to give something back. |
Though parents still spend the majority of their back-to-school budget on clothes and shoes, spending on electronics has soared in the past several years, ... Electronics have become affordable for most families, enabling parents to continue their children's education at home. |
Ultimately, higher prices at the pump act as an additional tax on consumers, and consumers don't like to be taxed. |
We are a nation of procrastinators, ... With many consumers completing their holiday shopping -- and some of them just starting -- retailers are expecting crowded parking lots and heavy traffic this weekend. |
We are still suffering the effects of the change from traditional business apparel to casual apparel. Those (casual apparel brands) carry much lower price points and people still haven't figured out what casual is. There's no real direction for fashion. People don't know what direction it's going, and for women this is a big issue. |
We hope that the courts act promptly and grant the president's request for an injunction. |
We operate on a 1 percent or 2 percent profit margin, ... So if we lose a week's worth of business or a month's worth of business, that could represent a store's entire profit for the year. |
When dishonest shoppers commit return fraud, it raises prices for all of us, |
When it comes to shopping for their special someone on Valentine's Day, consumers turn to more sentimental gifts. |
While moms love to receive luxury items, such as jewelry or a trip to the spa, dads are happy with an afternoon barbecue or watching the ballgame without distraction. |
While we don't expect the housing bubble to burst, we are beginning to see some leaks. |
With consumers heading to the stores for everything from scissors to sneakers, retailers are hopeful that the back-to-school season will signal the beginning of an economic recovery, |
With Easter falling two weeks earlier this year, Mother Nature will play a part in apparel sales. Consumers, many of them still shoveling snow off their sidewalks, are not yet feeling compelled to go shopping for spring clothes. |