October sales reports from major retailers ranging from Target Corp. to Macy's Inc. are expected to offer more evidence of a spending recovery when they're released Thursday. ...more

November 5, 2009

Retailers reported dismal sales figures for December on Thursday as even Wal-Mart Stores, one of the bright spots in the industry, finally buckled under the pressures of the deteriorating economy. ...more

January 9, 2009

U.S. retailers face a wave of store closings, bankruptcies and takeovers starting next month as holiday sales are shaping up to be the worst in 40 years. ...more

December 30, 2008

Many of the nation's retailers struggled with a sluggish back-to-school season, though Wal-Mart posted higher August sales Thursday as shoppers focused on buying essentials amid worries about high gas and food prices. ...more

September 5, 2008

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

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

Tax rebate checks gave consumers a little extra money in their pockets during May, but most were still spending conservatively, buying necessities such as food and gas and shying away from splurging on clothing or furniture. The result was some better-than-expected sales for the nation's retailers, with lower-priced merchants such as discounters and wholesale clubs showing the strongest gains. ...more

June 6, 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