ANNE D’INNOCENZIO

AP Retail Writer

Nation’s largest trade group: holiday sales rose a better-than-expected 4%

Sales for the 2024 holiday shopping season turned out to be robust and better than expected, as easing inflation on merchandise drove shoppers to buy, according to the nation’s largest retail trade group.

American shoppers wrap up the year in a spending mood, boding well for the U.S. economy

American consumers wrapped up the year in a spending mood, shopping for all sorts of merchandise from furniture to clothing, and eating out at restaurants, according to the latest government snapshot.

Kohl’s to close 27 stores by April as struggling department stores works to improve sales

Kohl’s is planning to close 27 underperforming stores in 15 states by April as the struggling department store chain aims to boost profitability and improve sagging sales.

Value-seekers drove 2024’s retail trends and dead ends

Value was in vogue in 2024. Shoppers and restaurant patrons in the U.S. were choosy about where and how to spend their money as they wrestled with high housing and food prices. Well-heeled shoppers traded down to Walmart and Aldi.

Holiday shoppers increased spending by 3.8% despite higher prices

New data shows holiday sales rose this year even as Americans wrestled with still high prices in many grocery necessities and other financial worries.

The Container Store, buffeted by rough housing market and competition, seeks bankruptcy protection

The Container Store has filed for bankruptcy protection, as the storage and organizational goods retailer with roots dating back to 1978 grapples with mounting losses and cash flow shortages.

Big Lots conducts going-out-of-business sales after sale of company falls through

Discount chain Big Lots is conducting going-out-of-business sales at its remaining locations after a sale of the company didn’t materialize.

Younger generations swap tradition for self-expression with holiday decorations

Whether dressed in black, mimicking bare branches or decked out with enough bows for a Taylor Swift concert, the Christmas trees in some U.S. homes this year display an unconventional streak.

Retail sales rose at healthy pace last month in latest sign of US economy’s health

Consumers stepped up their spending at retail stores last month, providing a boost to the economy in the early phases of the winter holiday shopping season. The Commerce Department said Tuesday that retail sales rose 0.7% in November.

Macy’s tightens financial controls after employee covered up what became a $151 million mistake

Macy’s is tightening financial accounting measures after completing a probe of a rogue employee who hid $151 million in delivery expenses over a span of nearly three years.

Activist investors urge Macy’s to create a real estate unit among other changes to boost stock

Activist investor Barington Capital Group is calling on department store retailer Macy’s to develop an internal real estate subsidiary, reduce capital expenditures, and explore strategic options for its Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury chains among other changes to boost its slumping stock, according

US added a strong 227,000 jobs in November in bounce-back from October slowdown

America’s job market rebounded in November, adding 227,000 workers in a solid recovery from the previous month, when the effects of strikes and hurricanes had sharply diminished employers’ payrolls.

Retailers coax Black Friday shoppers into stores with big discounts and giveaways

Retailers in the U.S. have used giveaways and bigger-than expected discounts to reward shoppers who ventured out on Black Friday.

Why retailers still see Black Friday as the high point of the holiday shopping season

After weeks of plugging increasingly inviting discounts, retailers in the United States and several other countries are preparing for prime time.

Best Buy posts another quarterly sales drop while Kohl’s sees slump deepen

Best Buy, the nation’s largest consumer electronics chain, reported another quarterly drop in sales as Americans continued to tighten their purse strings on appliances and gadgets to focus on essentials.

Walmart becomes latest - and biggest - company to roll back its DEI policies

Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, is rolling back its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, joining a growing list of major corporations that have done the same after coming under attack by conservative activists.

Kohl’s names Michaels CEO Ashley Buchanan to assume top job, effective Jan. 15

Department store retailer Kohl’s Inc. says Michaels CEO and retail veteran Ashley Buchanan will take over its top job, effective January 15.

A tale of two retailers: Target reports sluggish spending while Walmart has a stellar quarter

Target has reported sluggish sales and slumping profits in the fiscal third quarter as inflation-weary customers curtailed their spending on apparel and other non-essential items.

Walmart heads into official start of holiday season with strong momentum after robust 3Q results

Walmart ratcheted up sales and profits again in the third quarter with its comparatively low prices proving a powerful draw for shoppers seeking to cut spending where they could. The nation’s largest retailer raised its outlook for the year as well.

Grocery chains vie for a place on Thanksgiving tables with turkey dinner deals and store brands

With Thanksgiving less than two weeks away, food retailers are trying to tempt Americans who haven’t recovered from recent price inflation.

Retail sales up solidly in October as Americans showed continued willingness to spend

Americans stepped up their spending at retailers last month in the latest sign that healthy consumer spending is driving the economy’s steady growth.

Steve Madden to cut goods imported from China by up to 45% as it prepares for Trump’s tariff pledge

Shoe brand Steve Madden will be cutting the goods that it imports from China by as much as 45% next year as it prepares for the return of President-elect Donald Trump who has pledged to slap steep tariffs across the board on imports from other countries.

Bernie Marcus, The Home Depot co-founder and billionaire philanthropist, dies at 95

Bernard “Bernie” Marcus, the co-founder of The Home Depot, a billionaire philanthropist, and a big Republican donor, has died. He was 95. Marcus died Monday in Boca Raton, Florida, surrounded by family, according to a Home Depot spokesperson.

A TV as big as a bed? With the holidays approaching, stores stock more supersize sets

For some television viewers, size apparently does matter. Forget the 65-inch TVs that were considered bigger than average just a few years ago.

Tapestry, Capri file notice to appeal court decision blocking their $8.5 billion merger

Tapestry and Capri Holdings have filed their notice to jointly appeal the decision by a U.S. District judge to temporarily halt the merger between the makers of Coach and Michael Kors handbags, according to a court filing Monday.

American Airlines tests boarding technology that audibly shames line cutters

American Airlines is testing a new technology at three airports across the country during the boarding process that aims to cut down on passengers who try to jump the line.

Merger of handbag makers Tapestry, Capri halted as judge sides with FTC in antitrust case

A U.S. District judge has halted the merger between makers of Coach and Michael Kors handbags, saying it would reduce competition and hurt consumers. In her ruling Thursday, U.S.

Will US convenience stores find the secret to selling better food?

Americans who think of petrified hot dogs, frozen burritos and salty snacks when they imagine getting food at a gas station or truck stop may be pleasantly surprised during their next road trip: U.S. convenience stores are offering them more and better — though not necessarily healthier — choices.

Walmart reaches settlement deal for shareholder lawsuits over its handling of opioids

Walmart says it has reached a proposed settlement pact related to three lawsuits filed by shareholders on behalf of the company over the handling of prescription opioids.

US shoppers spent more at retailers last month in latest sign consumers are driving growth

Americans stepped up their purchases at retailers last month as low unemployment, steady pay gains and rising stock and home values helped sustain their willingness to spend despite higher prices.