Stories related to: shoppers

Browsing airplane catalogs already hints at a certain crazed desperation. But just in case that yapping businessman on your flight pushes you into a homicidal rage, Jezebel points out that SkyMall merch can also facilitate murder (first, allow 4-6 weeks for delivery): Lawn Aerator Sandals: 1.5-inch spikes covering the soles easily dig holes in your lawn. Happily, they also turn a swift kick deadly. More »

Many shoppers might consider haggling a buying technique better suited to a Moroccan carpet bazaar than their local mall, but the practice is picking up steam in the US in the midst of increasing economic woes, reports the Los Angeles Times . Cash-strapped consumers are trying to create bargains rather than hunt them down, and retailers stuck with unsold stock are giving sales staff more leeway to cut deals. More »

Soaring gas prices and a still-boiling housing crisis are taking their toll on America's smaller retailers, with store bankruptcies and vacancy rates rising steadily as customers avoid impulse-buys that once fueled the industry's rapid expansion, reports AP. Vacancies hover between 7% and 8%, up from 5% just six months ago—and some analysts predict rates as high as 12.5% by the end of 2008. More »

It’s called “wardrobing” or “retail renting,” when a consumer buys, uses, and then returns merchandise, and the National Retail Federation says it’s growing more popular with shoppers, the Boston Globe reports. It's also becoming a bigger headache for merchants as the economy tightens and businesses work harder to keep customers. The NRF reports a 10% growth in the practice in 2007. More »