Too many people have been stricken by obsessive materialism. ...more

January 9, 2009

Johnny Knotts' business will soon resemble more of a toy shop than the hardware store it has been for 75 years. ...more

November 27, 2008

In between gobbling down turkey dinners and watching football, many shoppers will be planning their Black Friday attack plans today. Stores are enticing people with sales, known as "door busters," that start as early as today. Here's a timeline to help sort out the sale times and hot deals at some of the biggest retailers. ...more

November 26, 2008

The odds of landing a part-time job at department store operator Bealls Outlet Stores Inc. this holiday season are slimmer than getting into Harvard: It's one out of every 45. ...more

November 12, 2008

Rockin' Hardware Give a whole room, or a piece of furniture, an unusual and affordable makeover with ...more

August 20, 2008

"Stars Wars" is the franchise that won't die, even though it has been going decidedly downhill ever since the "The Phantom Menace" was released. ...more

August 12, 2008

What started as a way to say thanks to the 20 or so pediatrics nurses on the third floor of University Community Hospital ended with everyone saying thanks to a 9-year-old cancer patient who dreamed up the nifty design for a bunch of T-shirts worn by those nurses. ...more

August 1, 2008

"Star Wars" fans are expected to line up outside the empire of Toys R Us stores around the world tonight to get the first shot at a line of toys based on the yet-to-be-released animated film. ...more

July 25, 2008

When Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire signed a law banning lead and chemicals known as phthalates from children's products in April, Amy Tucker was thrilled. As president of Matter Group, a Seattle company that makes children's games and stuffed animals out of recycled materials, Tucker's products were already lead- and phthalate-free. But when other states began adopting their own restrictions, she became dismayed by the emerging patchwork of regulations. ...more

June 30, 2008

TAMPA - Most shoppers on a recent Wednesday morning didn't seem to notice the tiny red tags pitching BPA-free bottles inside Babies R Us on Hillsborough Avenue. ...more

June 12, 2008