The latest in Shopping

Retailers' graveyard shift wins over shoppers, analysts

2011-12-22T11:30:18Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - While most of New York was fast asleep at 3 am on Thursday, 25-year old Tatiana Baret from the Bronx went to Macy's.

"It is convenient, it's actually a little more quiet at this time...

Analysis: Best Buy previews other retailers' margin hits

2011-12-14T10:30:11Z

(Reuters) - Best Buy Co Inc is the first of many retailers that will report falling margins as merchants reluctantly cling to steep discounts to draw consumers in this holiday season.

On Tuesday, electronics retailer Best Buy saw its shares fall more than 15 percent when third-quarter earnings missed analyst exp...

Nintendo: 3DS gets boost from Mario, at least in Japan

2011-12-06T20:00:15Z

TOKYO (Reuters) - Sales of Nintendo Co Ltd's 3DS games device will hit 3 million units in the Japanese market within days, but consumers in the U.S. and Europe seem to be delaying...

Exclusive: Many Americans already done with holiday shopping

2011-12-05T11:30:52Z

(Reuters) - More than a third of U.S. shoppers are already done with most of their holiday shopping, a survey showed on Monday, signaling that retailers need to offer bigger incentives to win sales in the few weeks before Christmas.

The findings underscore the fragility of the U.S. recovery, since consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of the nation's e...

US firearms sales hit all-time high on Black Friday

2011-12-02T19:30:49Z

US firearms sales reached a record 129,166 during last week's Black Friday that kicked off the holiday shopping season, a 32 percent increase from the previous all-time high, officials said.

The FBI confirmed the jump from the last peak of 97,848 weapons sold during Black Friday of 2008, telling AFP that "we do not have a...

Best Buy gets it right, joins early holiday winners

2011-11-27T12:30:06Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Having the right products at the right price at the right time helped make Best Buy Co Inc one of the early winners in what was a record start for U.S. retailers to the holiday shopping season.

The electronics retailer, which was one of the biggest losers in 2010, drew in shoppers by b...

Shoppers spent more cash over Thanksgiving weekend: NRF

2011-11-27T12:00:31Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - More people headed to stores and websites over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, and average spending per person rose 9.1 percent as bargain-hunting shoppers scooped up discounts on everything from gadgets to hoodies, a National Retail Federation survey on Sunday showed.

The trade group's survey found t...

Retailers look to keep Black Friday momentum going

2011-11-27T10:30:07Z

(Reuters) - U.S. retailers moved from the frenzied start of the holiday shopping season to the next phase on Saturday, hoping to avoid a drop after Black Friday and keep the momentum going during a fitful economic recovery.

After featuring the usual deep discounts on Thanksgiving on Thursday...

Black Friday pepper-spray shopper turns herself in

2011-11-26T20:30:28Z

A woman who pepper-sprayed other Black Friday shoppers at a Los Angeles-area Wal-Mart so she could get an Xbox video game console at a deep discount has turned herself in, police said Saturday.

The woman, whose name was not released but who has...

Woman accused of pepper-spraying shoppers surrenders

2011-11-26T12:00:11Z

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A woman suspected of dousing fellow Walmart shoppers with pepper spray during a Black Friday eve bargain frenzy in suburban Los Angeles has turned herself in to authorities, police said on Sa...

Tablets are this year's Cabbage Patch Kids

2011-11-26T02:30:38Z

It looks like Santa's elves are becoming increasingly tech-savvy in the North Pole.

The Apple iPad tops wish lists this year for children ages 6 through 12 desiring consumer electronics, according to Nielsen research. Forty-four percent of kids surveyed expressed interest in the iPad, up from 31 percent last year when the p...

Black Friday draws crowds, but spending in doubt

2011-11-25T19:00:14Z

(Reuters) - Retailers were hoping for more shoppers like Shawn Elzia as the annual Black Friday bargain stampede marked the unofficial start of what is widely expected to be a middling holiday shopping season.

The Brooklyn, New York teacher, ...

Violence, pepper spray mar Black Friday shopping

2011-11-25T18:30:24Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Black Friday turned into a black mark against American shoppers as riotous crowds brawled over video games, waffle irons and towels, drawing international condemnation and even raising questions about the state of humanity.

One of the most outrageous incidents of the day was in the

Obama campaign tweets Black Friday deals

2011-11-25T16:30:24Z

As shoppers snapped up Black Friday deals around the United States, US President Barack Obama's re-election campaign also jumped into the fray, offering discounts on 2012 merchandise.

"This Black Friday, take 10 percent off all purchases of #Obama2012 gear," the Obama campaign said in a message to the nearly 11.3 m...

Spirited "Black Friday" has dark roots

2011-11-25T16:00:09Z

(Reuters) - Most Americans associate the words "Black Friday" with the ritual of excited consumers rising early to begin holiday shopping in search of doorbuster deals, but the term's origins have a deeper, darker meaning.

The Friday after the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, known as "Black Friday," now marks the unofficial start of the holiday shopping ...

Midnight Black Friday start likely to become norm

2011-11-25T16:00:07Z

(Reuters) - Earlier than ever store openings at Macy's Inc, Target Corp and Best Buy Inc this year were such hits with shoppers that their midnight start on

Violence, pepper spray mars Black Friday shopping

2011-11-25T15:00:11Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A shopper pepper-sprayed other bargain hunters and robbers shot at customers to steal their Black Friday purchases, marring the start of the U.S. holiday shopping season, according to authorities.

Up to 20 people were injured after a woman used pepper spray at a

Black Friday draws crowds but spending in doubt

2011-11-25T11:00:11Z

The Brooklyn, New York teacher, ...

Battle for Black Friday deals includes pepper spray, shootings

2011-11-25T09:00:18Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The holiday shopping season got off to an ugly start with shoppers pepper-spraying one another to battle for bargains and robbers shooting shoppers to steal their Black Friday purchases, police said on Friday.

In Los Angeles, authorities were reviewi...

Crowds hit stores for "Black Friday" deals

2011-11-25T07:30:35Z

(Reuters) - Retailers may not reap hefty gains from the longer lines of shoppers snaked around malls across the U.S. at the traditional post-Thanksgiving start of the holiday shopping season; broader bargain hunting driven by budgetary fears may depress overall holiday spending.

Eager shoppers hunted for bargains on big-screen televisions, video games and toys while fretting about their own ...

Crowds hit U.S. stores for "Black Friday" deals

2011-11-25T07:00:26Z

Eager shoppers hunted for bargains on big-screen televisions, video g...

Worried shoppers greet "Black Friday" sales

2011-11-24T23:00:15Z

(Reuters) - Bargain hunters flocked to U.S. stores late Thursday and overnight Friday, searching for deals while fretting about their own shaky economic well-being.

Some stores, looking to grab as big a piece as possible of what is expected to be a middling holiday shopping season, pushed post-Thanksgiving openings into Thursday evening or opened at midnight for the first time in years, gett...

Thanksgiving kicks off fight for holiday sales

2011-11-24T20:00:11Z

(Reuters) - The U.S. holiday shopping season was in full-swing on Thursday, with retailers hoping consumers will spend big despite worries about the fragile economy and their own precarious finances.

Stores looking to grab as big a piece as possible of what is expected to be a middling holiday shopping season pushed post-Thanksgiving openings into Thursday evening, getting an early start on ...

More Americans to shop on Black Friday: survey

2011-11-17T07:01:25Z

(Reuters) - Americans plan this year to go shopping in greater numbers on Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year and unofficial kick-off the holiday spending season.

Some 152 million shoppers say they will hit stores on November 25, the day after U.S. Thanksgiving, up 10.1 percent from 138 million people last year, according to a survey ...

More Americans to shop on Black Friday: NRF survey

2011-11-16T21:30:08Z

(Reuters) - Americans plan this year to go shopping in greater numbers on Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year and unofficial kick-off the holiday spending season.

Some 152 million shoppers say they will hit stores on November 25, the day after U.S. Thanksgiving, up 10.1 percent from 138 million people last year, according to a survey ...

Black Friday Do's and Don'ts

2011-11-14T11:30:12Z

These tips will help you get the best deals as you do your holiday shopping -- even if you don't plan on braving the stores the day after Thanksgiving.

Black Friday – the day after Thanksgiving that traditionally signals the beginning of the holida...

Wozniacki jets out to watch boyfriend McIlroy in China

2011-11-07T10:01:51Z

Rory McIlroy will receive extra support from tennis star girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki as he closes in on the biggest cash prize of his golfing career this weekend.

World number one women's tennis player Wozniacki will arrive in China on Sunday -- just in time to watch

Walmart offers early preview of Black Friday deals

2011-11-02T00:30:34Z

(Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc said it is offering an early preview of its Black Friday deals starting Wednesday and will also hold an early holiday sale beginning Saturday.

The Saturday sale will start on November 5 at 11 a.m. and will go on till midnight, the company said in ...

Target website crashes for second time in six weeks

2011-10-25T12:30:41Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Target Corp's website crashed for the second time in six weeks on Tuesday, interrupting online shopping for the discount chain.

Tuesday's outage comes less than two weeks after Steve Eastman, the former president of Target.com, left the company to pursue other opportunities. At ...

eBay platform prime for Internet age shopping

2011-10-12T19:30:31Z

EBay set the stage for shops large and small to tap into Internet age techniques for taking payments with PayPal technology at the heart of cashless transactions.

A PayPal Access online identity program and an X.commerce platform for payments were launched as eBay opened its Innovate Developer Conference in ...

Hawks to patrol Singapore shopping district: report

2011-10-12T13:30:24Z

Businesses along Singapore's famous Orchard Road shopping street plan to deploy trained hawks to scare off thousands of birds whose droppings rain down on pedestrians' heads, a report said Wednesday.

The Straits Times said retailers were in talks with Jurong Bird Park, whose attractions include trained birds of prey, to try a natural solution after artificial...

5 Ways to Dress for Success on a Budget

2011-09-26T10:30:23Z

Here's how to put together a work-appropriate wardrobe without spending a fortune.

For young professionals, dressing appropriately for work can be just as important as showing up at meetings on time or making project deadlines. With a professional wardrobe, you can help battle negative stereotypes associated with Generations X and Y and show the higher-ups that you’re se...

Best Buy unveils new third-party marketplace

2011-09-07T09:30:13Z

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Best Buy Co said on Wednesday it will offer products online from other sellers through a new third-party Marketplace as the electronics retailer tries to better compete with online rivals

Home Depot, Walmart, grocers get boost from Irene

2011-08-26T11:30:17Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hurricane Irene sent east coast shoppers into stores to stock up on essentials this week, instead of the clothes, notebooks and other supplies that retailers were counting on selling as parents prepare to send their children back to school.

C...

Frugal is in: deals to drive back-to-school shopping for clothes

2011-07-19T10:30:34Z

BANGALORE (Reuters) - For young Americans, frugal dressing is in this back-to-school season.

Retailers like Abercombie & Fitch , Aeropostale and Zumiez may be showing off o...

Money Lessons That Dads Teach Kids

2011-06-20T10:30:13Z

Fathers deserve some credit on their special day (and all year) for the examples they set for their children.

Here’s an interesting Father’s Day tidbit: Online shoppers spent an average of $144 on Dad last Father’s Day, reports Ebates, a Web...

Blast in Istanbul, police say at least one casualty

2011-05-25T23:30:18Z

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A loud blast was heard in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Thursday, witnesses said. Police told Reuters that there was at least one casualty.

The blast was located in Etiler, a residential and shopping district in the city. The cause of the blast was not known.

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Philippines New Year

2010-12-31T00:31:10Z

A street vendor blows a paper horn to attract customers as people make their last minute shopping for the New Year Friday, Dec. 31, 2010 in Manila, Philippines. (AP Photo/Pat Roque)

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After Christmas Shopping ShopperTrak

2010-12-29T10:32:37Z

FILE - In this Dec. 26, 2010 file photo, shoppers make their way in the snow in Union Square, in New York. The blizzard that swept through the Northeast on Sunday and Monday delayed $1 billion in retail spending, according to research firm ShopperTrak, but won't derail a holiday shopping season expected to be...

CORRECTION Last Minute Shopping

2010-12-24T15:01:21Z

Matt Pascone, 25, uses a day off from his night job to do some last minute Christmas shopping for his family in Mission Viejo, Calif. on Friday, Dec. 24, 2010. (AP Photo/Orange County Register,

Last Minute Shopping

2010-12-24T14:31:12Z

Matt Pascone, 25, uses a day off from his night job to do some last minute Christmas shopping for his family in Fullerton, Calif. on Friday, Dec. 24, 2010. (AP Photo/Orange County Register,

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