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So how good were the holidays for retailers?

Jan 4, 2022
Three small-business owners weigh in on how the shopping season went for them.
Despite a spike in coronavirus cases, retail sales were strong during the holiday season.
Leon Neal via Getty Images

Shop owners rush, like their customers, to shop for the holidays early

Nov 19, 2021
Haunted by their own supply chain woes, many retailers are trying to get what they themselves need for the holidays.
Shoppers look at a holiday display in a New York City shop window. Despite supply chain issues and inflation, the National Retail Federation expects holiday spending to jump up to 10.5%.
Scott Heins via Getty Images

As holiday merchandise gets held up, discount retailers get ready

Sep 24, 2021
Backlogs of holiday goods on ships and in warehouses mean liquidators could be in for a good season.
Current shipping backlogs could mean delays in holiday merchandise — and the gift of overstock for discount retailers.
Matt Cardy via Getty Images

Three small businesses weigh in on the pandemic holiday season

Jan 4, 2021
Marketplace has been following three American small businesses during this unprecedented holiday retail season. Here's how things went.
The quiet interior of Carr Mill Mall in Carrboro, North Carolina, where Ali Cat Toys is located.
Irene Kesselman

For public good, not for profit.

Retailers have to figure out how to handle all our online returns

Dec 14, 2020
One challenge for those managing "reverse logistics"? Not enough room to store everything we want to send back, one study says.
Packages are processed at a U.S. Postal Service distribution center in Oakland, California.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Retailers' holiday sales strategy this year? Fewer, smaller sales

Dec 7, 2020
They're trying to make a profit selling less stuff, but holding the line on prices.
A pedestrian walks past a store advertising a Black Friday sale in New York.
Jeenah Moon/Getty Images

How small stores are cutting through the noise from the big-box stores this season

Nov 26, 2020
Personal touches, virtual community events and free shipping can go a long way.
Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images