holiday shopping

(Newser) - Gasoline prices topped $3 a gallon for the first time since mid-July, prompting worries about a consumer pullback as the US heads into the holiday shopping season and cold weather increases energy demands, reports USA Today. It’s the first time gas prices, up 80 cents from a year ago...

(Newser) - No need to wait until the day after Thanksgiving: your Black Friday deal may already be out there waiting. Retailers are launching their assault on shoppers’ wallets even earlier this year, reports CNN Money. “This is probably the earliest that we're seeing the price wars," said consultant George...

(Newser) - With the holiday shopping season set to kick off, retailers are lowering prices on thousands of items to clear space for seasonal products, cutting into profits and producing the worst drop in week-to-week sales since May, Bloomberg reports. US retail sales for the week ending Oct. 20 fell 1.5%...

(Newser) - Gloomy September reports led retailers to lower third-quarter forecasts, the New York Times reported today. With the exception of Wal-Mart—which raised profit forecasts slightly—big chain stores performed below expectations in September. Among the culprits are the credit crunch, warm weather and unflattering comparisons to last September. Even Wal-Mart...