Early reports from several retailers including J.C. Penney Co. and Kohl's Corp. confirmed on Wednesday what Wall Street had expected: a weak start to the back-to-school shopping season. ...more

September 4, 2008

The outlook for the back-to-school shopping season seemed grim Thursday, as retailers' July sales reports showed an increasing shift toward buying necessities such as food and household supplies at discounters and away from discretionary spending on clothing. ...more

August 8, 2008

Costco Wholesale Corp., which had been one of the few bright spots in retailing, said Wednesday that its earnings will miss Wall Street expectations, as it struggles with higher energy costs that are crimping its bottom line. ...more

July 24, 2008

Like the manual typewriter and the eight-track tape, the milk crate may disappear from existence. ...more

July 20, 2008

Shoppers, enticed by heavy discounts and armed with rebate checks, spent freely in June, helping to lift retailers' sales. The outlook for the back-to-school season remains tough, though, as consumers confront high gas and food prices, a slumping housing market and tighter credit. ...more

July 11, 2008

About 9,350 youth beds were recalled Thursday because the toy chest that's attached to the bed can entrap children. ...more

July 4, 2008

Tap water is making a comeback. With a day's worth of bottled water - the recommended 64 ounces - costing hundreds to thousands of dollars a year depending on the brand, more people are opting to slurp water that comes straight from the sink. ...more

June 23, 2008

BUT, HONEY, IT'S ORGANIC "Do you promise to not buy something if I show it to you?" The Official Wife of The Stew said to me as we were shopping. ...more

May 27, 2008

Tampa Bay area residents are coping with rising grocery prices in a variety of ways - some tried and true and some with an innovative, frugal twist. ...more

May 9, 2008

Consumers gave some of the nation's retailers a little relief in April after months of dismal sales, gravitating toward less-expensive discounters and wholesale clubs but generally still shying away from stores selling clothes and other non-necessities. ...more

May 9, 2008