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Nearly half of Americans are still paying off 2023 holiday debt, survey says

Nov 29, 2024
The proportion has doubled since last year. Amid constant advertising, more people have credit card balances and those balances are rising.
"Holidays are No. 1 in terms of a big spending spike,” notes Ted Rossman of Bankrate.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

Luxury Advent calendars now in season

Nov 29, 2024
Advent calendars, which help brands market directly to consumers, are big business. Social media has a lot to do with their popularity.
An Advent calendar that retails for about $125 from the Ladurée pastry shop in Paris.
Julien de Rosa/AFP via Getty Images

Online holiday shopping brings wide variety of scams as well as goods

Nov 29, 2024
The season offers swindlers many opportunities to lure trusting shoppers. But there are ways to protect yourself.
According to the AARP, about 82% of consumers have been the target or victim of a scam in the last year.
Gabriel Pevide via Getty Images

Buy now, pay later transactions likely headed for record holiday season

Nov 28, 2024
The 0% interest on many buy now, pay later plans is appealing to cash-strapped holiday shoppers. But nonpayment ends up on credit reports.
Shoppers often use buy now, pay later programs for the big stuff, like furniture or electronics. But increasingly, it's also used for necessities like groceries.
Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images

Why are Black Friday deals appearing earlier this year?

Nov 28, 2024
Pre-Thanksgiving Black Friday sales aren’t just about getting more of our money early. It's about getting us to imagine all the things we want to buy as prices continue to drop.
Just because people are willing to spend doesn’t mean they aren’t being cautious. Consumers are seeking out deals and cheaper alternatives to their holiday shopping list items.
Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images

Real-time data finds consumers feeling fragile

Nov 26, 2024
Data like credit card swipes and parking lot satellite photos show trends long before many measures of consumer sentiment.
Satellite images of store parking lots are used to measure "footfall," where people are physically shopping.
Emil T. Lippe/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Alabama toy shop owners prepare for the holiday rush

Nov 22, 2024
Sisters Stevi Bell and Amanda Calhoun of Fantasy Island Toys, talk about their plans for the busiest shopping season of the year.
"It's the best job that I've ever had, and I do say that, like, multiple times a day," says Stevi Bell, left, about co-owning a toy store with her sister Amanda Calhoun.
Courtesy Stevi Bell

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Desire to buy American-made gifts is strong, but so is the allure of cheap stuff from China

Nov 21, 2024
Chinese brands like SHEIN and Temu are expected to play a major role in holiday shopping this year. So will American consumers put their money where their mouth is this holiday season?
Shoppers say they do care about where products are made, but they also care about getting a deal. Especially as they continue to adjust to elevated prices.
Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

For online retail, the holidays are coming earlier and earlier

Nov 15, 2024
Web retail requires no mall Santas or displays, and shoppers easily compare prices online, so the messaging starts around Oct. 1, experts say.
kerkez/Getty Images

More consumers are planning to use generative AI for holiday shopping

Nov 13, 2024
Amazon and Walmart are both touting AI chatbots as a convenient way to shop this holiday season. But will it really change the way we buy?
It's the first holiday season for Rufus, Amazon's AI shopping assistant, which launched in February.
Nathan Stirk/Getty Images