Haggling Makes a Comeback

Data don't support hysterical headlines

(NEWSER) - Fears of a double-dip recession is running high, but economic data suggest that they are unfounded. Writing in the Wall Street Journal , Milton Ezrati of the money management firm Lord Abbett explains:

1. The consumer is regaining strength: A 1.4% decline in retail sales for May gave rise to double-dip fears, but that was after 10% advance over the past 12 months. Meanwhile, household income is on the rise, and Americans are saving more—suggesting they can keep up current spending while paying down debt.

Sales are up, a promising sign for recovery

(NEWSER) - One of the retail industry's best friends is back: the teenage mall shopper. For two straight months, stores that cater to young consumers have beat sales expectations. One of the leaders, Abercrombie & Fitch, even snapped a 20-month streak in the red by posting an 8% sales increase in January. Industry analysts looking for signs the recession is easing are relieved, reports the Los Angeles Times . More»

$41.2B weekend total beats 2008 haul by $1.2B

(NEWSER) - Thanksgiving weekend retail sales totaled $41.2 billion, a .5% jump over last year's $41 billion, but the average shopper spent 8% less than in 2008, $343.31 against $372.57. Discounts, especially on electronics and toys, were the overwhelming attraction as cautious consumers pried open their wallets, Bloomberg reports. Retailers "know they have their work cut out for them to keep people coming back through Christmas," said the head of the National Retail Federation. More»

Large retailers join smaller niche stores to offer rebates for reusing

(NEWSER) - Target and CVS will reward customers for using reusable shopping bags, and the efforts could take a billion plastic bags out of circulation. Though some retailers—notably Wal-Mart—have been slow to hop on the eco bandwagon, initiatives at smaller chains such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's have met with success. “Retailers who want to connect with this generation have to go green,” an expert tells USA Today. More»

But some like the extra coupons

(NEWSER) - Buy a pack of gum at a New York drugstore, get a foot-long receipt. That’s just one example of the paper-trail overload generated by many retailers in recent years, the Wall Street Journal reports. What was once a record of your purchase has become a ribbon of countless coupons, contests, and reminders. “The receipt issue has gotten out of hand,” says one shopper, whose complaints are echoed by others: "You feel like you have a very special document in your pocket, when in reality you bought a Sprite at a Best Buy." More»