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Retail sales

For online retail, the holidays are coming earlier and earlier

by Matt Levin
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.
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Black Friday deals hitting your inbox already? You're not alone.

by Caleigh Wells
Nov 4, 2024
We're barely out of Halloween, yet retailers are keen to get the holiday shopping season started.
Earlier Black Friday deals this year are partially in response to potential port strikes and partially go back to pandemic supply chain snarls.
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Kmart is closing its last store in the U.S.

by Kristin Schwab
Sep 25, 2024
The bargain retailer has struggled for years in the shadow of its two biggest imitators: Target and Walmart.
After closing hundreds of locations nationwide — like the one in Elmhurst, Illinois, seen above — Kmart announced its last full-scale store will be closing in October.
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Online retail sales rose nearly 8% in August over last year

by Justin Ho
Sep 18, 2024
Analysts say there's still room for growth in the category, though most purchases are still made in person.
Tools that help shoppers visualize the fit of clothing or how furniture might look in their homes is helping fuel online retail sales.
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Despite all the recent growth, e-commerce still has room to expand

by Samantha Fields
Sep 17, 2024
About 20% of retail sales are online these days.
Practices like curbside pickup for online orders, which was popularized early in the pandemic, have made it difficult to track just how many sales are made online versus in person.
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Walmart leans into fashion

by Elizabeth Trovall
Sep 11, 2024
It's targeting Target.
“You have to be somewhat cynical about [Walmart's] ability to sustain the ride necessary to create fashion assortments that customers will find appealing," said retail consultant Mark Cohen.
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"Newness" is enticing inflation-weary consumers to spend

by Stephanie Hughes
Aug 21, 2024
Retail giant Target appears to be banking on refreshed product lines, which can make shopping feel more like a treasure hunt.
New products, when marketed well, can entice wallet-wary shoppers to spend.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
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Strong summer sales help these family-owned bookstores get through the slow season

by Sofia Terenzio
Aug 16, 2024
Joanna Reese funds her Maine shops on a shoestring. "[We do] as much as we can ourselves," she says, "to save on costs."
Joanna Reese co-owns two bookstores with her father, Harry Reese, including The Main Bookhouse, pictured here.
Courtesy Reese
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Electronics and appliance store sales rose in July

by Stephanie Hughes
Aug 16, 2024
Promotions, AI-ready computers and a need for new gear all likely played a role.
Consumers who purchased PCs at the height of the pandemic may find it's nearing the time to replace or upgrade their tech.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
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Retail sales figures are flat but a deeper dive shows consumer resilience

by Sabri Ben-Achour
Jul 16, 2024
Spending in many sectors, like furniture and online shopping, was strong. Falling prices also depressed the top line numbers in some categories.
When you take out car sales and gas spending, consumers actually spent 0.8% more in June than in May.
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