Joanna Reese funds her Maine shops on a shoestring. “[We do] as much as we can ourselves,” she says, “to save on costs.”

Promotions, AI-ready computers and a need for new gear all likely played a role.

Spending in many sectors, like furniture and online shopping, was strong. Falling prices also depressed the top line numbers in some categories.

One wild card: back-to-school shopping.

The latest figures, for April, suggest that rising prices, high interest rates and depleted pandemic savings may finally be weighing on spending.

Consumers are still spending, but that looks a little different now than it has the past few years.

Why department stores struggle to retain relevancy.

Once consumers adjust to a 24/7 promotion environment, it hard for companies to stop.

$1.2 trillion was spent outside of brick-and-mortar stores this year — much of it online. Here’s some of the trends shaping e-commerce spending.

Shoppers have been pulling back on “discretionary” spending at retailers.