But not enough to rescue some
slumping retailers
Los Angeles Times Dec 25, 07 7:30 AM CST
(Newser)
-
Shoppers swarmed in a last-minute buying binge that will help most, but not all, retailers make the season’s sales projections. For the week ended Saturday sales rose 33% over a year ago and for the final weekend of the season were up 18.7%, reports the Los Angeles Times . Still, “a lot of retailers are going to be disappointed,” said one analyst.
More »
Luxury takes a
backseat to the
practical this season
New York Times Dec 24, 07 3:03 PM CST
(Newser)
-
With a shaky economy causing consumers angst this holiday season, online e-tailers say shoppers are opting for functional over frivolous. E-sales of furniture and appliances have spiked more than 70%, while sales of jewelry, watches, and flowers have dropped, reports the New York Times . “It’s certainly counter to our expectations,” said the CEO of Furniture.com.
More »
One scatters shoppers, while another ties up trains
Independent (UK) Dec 24, 07 11:31 AM CST
(Newser)
-
Shoppers weren't the only thing going hog-wild over the weekend, reports the Independent. One wild boar rampaged amid last-minute gift-buyers in a clothing store in France, while another stepped in front of a high-speed train, delaying trains for hours.
More »
Procrastinators find
big sales, long lines
Wall Street Journal Dec 24, 07 9:17 AM CST
(Newser)
-
Last-minute shoppers navigated long lines over the final pre-Christmas weekend, nudging retailers toward the modest growth in sales they’d expected. Deep discounts cut into profits, but retailers like Macy's and Kmart stayed open around the clock to accommodate shoppers, the Wall Street Journal reports. “The procrastinators finally got out there,” one consultant said.
More »
Plagued by high gas and food prices, shoppers hold out for bargains
Bloomberg Dec 23, 07 6:43 PM CST
(Newser)
-
Retailers slashed prices nationwide this weekend in a bid to draw last-minute shoppers and lift a slumping holiday season, Bloomberg reports. Pressed by high gas and food prices, consumers are holding out for zero-hour deals; retailers have obliged with half-off sales and extra hours, counting on the last days before Christmas for 9% of season sales.
More »
Less discounting helps retail giant best expectations
Wall Street Journal Dec 18, 07 12:21 PM CST
(Newser)
-
A consumer hankering for big-ticket items—and a willingness to pay closer to full price for them—helped Best Buy's third-quarter profit rise 52%, reports the Wall Street Journal . Absent last year's discounting on flat-screen TVs, the country's largest electronics chain posted Q3 net income of $228 million, or 53 cents a share, versus 31 cents a share a year earlier and analysts' forecast of 41 cents.
More »
With less money to spend on family, women pull back on purchasing for themselves
New York Times Dec 17, 07 2:07 PM CST
(Newser)
-
Women's spending on apparel for the first half of the Christmas season is down, alarming retailers and spawning broad worry in the industry. Experts blame a bleak economy and blah fashions for a slump of nearly 6% compared with a year ago, reports the New York Times . Men’s clothing sales, on the other hand, rose 4.5% in the first 20 days of the season.
More »
Net surfing window shoppers blamed for crashes, meltdowns
Wired Dec 15, 07 10:14 AM CST
(Newser)
-
As online retailers post record sales this year, holiday e-commerce meltdowns show that stores still don't have the kinks ironed out of their sites. Despite increased capacity on retail sites, crashes such as Sears.com's eight-hour Black Friday crash and Yahoo Shopping's 10-hour Cyber Monday outage continue to plague holiday online shopping, Wired reports.
More »
Nintendo, GameStop to offer rain check on video-game console
Los Angeles Times Dec 14, 07 6:25 PM CST
(Newser)
-
Kids hoping to score a Nintendo Wii this Christmas might have to settle for a skimpy rain check instead, the Los Angeles Times reports. Nintendo has completely sold out of its popular video-game console and won't be shipping any new units until January. Instead, buyers can reserve systems with full-price "Wii Certificates" available Dec. 20-21 at GameStop.
More »
1 million units gone in
a flash last month as shoppers get creative
Reuters Dec 14, 07 9:59 AM CST
(Newser)
-
Nintendo’s Wii remained the hottest-selling—and hardest to find—game console in the US in November as shoppers snapped up nearly 1 million units, Reuters reports. Shoppers desperate for holiday presents have been standing in line at stores more than 14 hours to get a crack at one, and paying double the $249 retail price on Craigslist and eBay, the Columbus Dispatch notes . Some are offering trades of wedding bands and cars.
More »
Van Maur store, where the shooter opened fire, remains closed
Associated Press Dec 8, 07 12:35 PM CST
(Newser)
-
The Omaha mall where 19-year-old Robert Hawkins unleashed his killing spree re-opened for business today under tighter security, the AP reports. “I came in here and I was wondering how I would feel about it,” the mayor said, “but I feel fine.” The Von Maur store where Hawkins actually opened fire remains closed indefinitely.
More »
Shoppers explore varied strategies to get Nintendo's rare console
Washington Post Dec 8, 07 12:26 PM CST
(Newser)
-
The holiday-season shortage of Nintendo’s Wii console is fostering some creative shopping strategies, shared on a number of websites devoted to tracking down the device, the Washington Post reports. One advises Wii hopefuls not to ask store employees when the next shipment will arrive—instead, ask when the last one came in: "This is a question they can actually answer and gets the conversation going."
More »
Tips for savvy shoppers trying to track down elusive console
Wired Dec 5, 07 4:05 AM CST
(Newser)
-
Know where to go. Know the right people to talk to. Most importantly, get up early! Demand for the Nintendo Wii is going to far outstrip supply for the second Christmas in a row and Wired has some tips for people determined to track one down. Nintendo has stoked up production of the console, but executives admit there's bound to be a shortfall.
More »
Tech toys fly off the shelves, as young kids imitate grown up gadget lovers
New York Times Nov 29, 07 10:43 AM CST
(Newser)
-
Toddlers are getting their geek on, thanks to the rash of technological toys flying off the shelves this Christmas. The long-stagnant toy industry has found a growing market in kiddie versions of grown-up gadgets like laptops and digital cameras, the Times reports. “Toy companies don’t even call it the toy business anymore,” said an industry journalist. “They’re in the family entertainment business.”
More »
Online shopping's biggest day rose 21%, to $733M; purchases made mostly from work
MarketWatch Nov 28, 07 6:29 AM CST
(Newser)
-
Online sales on Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, soared 21% over the previous year to a record-breaking $733 million, Marketwatch reports. Some 60% of the purchases were made from work, say comScore analysts; the average dollars spent per buyer decreased 12% from the same day a year earlier.
More »