Holiday shopping reflects our personal economy

When we feel secure with our finances, we're more likely to splurge on that hot new toy.
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Holiday catalogs boost online sales

Dec 12, 2017
Most of us do our holiday shopping online, but those catalogs keep coming. That’s because stores see a role for the glossy catalogs. Click the above audio player to hear the full story.

Despite high interest rates, people still sign up for department credit cards

Dec 11, 2017
Department store credit cards, which tend to have high interest rates, have fallen out of fashion. But for some with bad credit, they are the only option.
Credit cards are pictured, on February 5, 2013 in Rennes, western France.
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What happens when a town loses its only grocery store?

Dec 6, 2017
You may think of food deserts as an urban phenomenon. But they exist in rural towns too.
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In holiday shopping season, brick and mortar stores have Santa advantage

Nov 23, 2017
Macy’s flagship store in New York’s Herald Square now requires an online reservation for visits with Santa. “Santa’s a popular guy,” goes the explanation. Some 250,000 visitors come to Macy’s “Santaland” each year, according to the company. Santa visits are a big draw and can translate into big sales for retailers. Click the audio player above to hear […]

A tale of two Thanksgivings: one spent at work, one spent with family

Nov 23, 2017
With Black Friday sales starting at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving, some retail workers lose out on time with their families.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are a few of the biggest shopping days of the year.
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For public good, not for profit.

Black Friday may not be best day for deals

Nov 22, 2017
More than half the respondents in a survey by WalletHub said Black Friday no longer offers the best deals of the year. The personal finance website analyzed ads from major retailers and found that there are a lot of deals on the day after Thanksgiving, but you have to know where to find them.  Click […]

Holiday jobs changing to keep up with online demand

Nov 21, 2017
As brick-and-mortar retail shrinks, some of the employment slack is taken up by online commerce.
Amazon's 800,000-square-foot fulfillment center in Kent, Washington.
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It's back-to-school season all year

Jul 17, 2017
The shopping ritual, like Christmas in summer for retailers of the past, is now an ongoing affair.
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