Just under the retail radar, Barbie tries on black silk bustiers and garters, red kewpie-doll lips and dollops of mauve eye shadow. She dons tartan knickers to take tea "en suite" and black fishnet stockings when working as a French maid. ...more

December 24, 2007

SEBRING – There is not a lot of time left to find that perfect gift for that special somebody and apparently a bunch of Christmas shoppers are in that predicament. As of Dec. 18, just one week before Christmas, about 19 percent of men — and about 14 percent of women — had yet to begin their shopping, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation. The survey showed that 16.5 percent of all consumers hadn't started shopping. In Highlands County, some merchants agree with the survey about seeing more shoppers getting a late start, while other store managers don't see it that way. "We're swamped," said Tom Short, manager of Michaels Arts and Crafts at the Shops At Shelby Crossing in Sebring. "They are buying Christmas stuff like it is going out of style." ...more

December 23, 2007

Sales at U.S. retailers declined for the third straight week as storeowners grappled with winter storms and rising gasoline prices that discouraged shoppers during what may be the worst holiday season in five years. ...more

December 21, 2007

Remember those $50 gift cards from Target and JCPenney stores that Aunt Irene and Uncle Harry gave you two Christmases ago? The ones you slipped into your sock drawer and forgot? ...more

December 21, 2007

Gift cards are more popular this year and are easier to use, thanks to key rulings by the Federal Trade Commission and efforts by a number of states to regulate them, several retail experts said. ...more

December 18, 2007

You may hate those jammed parking lots at the mall, but retailers are starting to smile wide. ...more

December 15, 2007

Retail sales rose this past month by 2.5 percent as stores discounted items and offered online specials during what the National Retail Federation expects to be the slowest-growing holiday season in five years. ...more

December 5, 2007

More than half of office workers with Internet access will shop for gifts from work this holiday season, according to a recent survey. ...more

December 3, 2007

SEBRING — Tina Harshman started her Monday morning bright and early by turning on her computer and buying some Christmas gifts online. Cyber Monday, as retailers have tagged the Monday after Thanksgiving, is the busiest day of the year for online shopping. According to a survey for Shop.org, an online arm of the National Retail Federation, 72 million consumers were planning to shop online from home or at work on Cyber Monday, and sales were expected to exceed $700 million. A number of retailers even hosted special sales or offers for the occasion. Harshman found good deals on gifts for her kids at Web sites for Toys "R" Us and Gymboree. ...more

November 27, 2007

As consumers hold tight to their wallets, online retailers will work harder this year for their share of the holiday gift list. ...more

November 26, 2007