Holiday Shopping

A new generation of toys powered by artificial intelligence is hitting the marketplace this year, from robots that can hold an entire conversation with your kid or a box that turns verbal descriptions into artwork.

The older data reveals that inflation is still here and consumers are still spending.

Retailers actually have started to offer deals to consumers earlier in the year, but the day still remains popular. 

The National Retail Federation predicts that this holiday season, retailers will hire fewer than 365,000 workers — the lowest number in 15 years.

Snail mail stands out when consumers are overwhelmed by digital ads.

A little over a year ago, Rita Magalde moved her previously home-based bakery to a commercial kitchen. This year, she’s adding a mall location.

Economists at EY-Parthenon forecast a modest 2.5% increase in holiday spending, but it’s due in part by gifts being more expensive this year. So what are budget-minded shoppers to do?

It’s way too early for most of us to be thinking of holiday shopping. But it’s definitely not for retail strategists, and some believe that younger people are planning to spend less this holiday season than older generations.

More than 40% of Americans have an unused gift card, according to Bankrate.

The proportion has doubled since last year. Amid constant advertising, more people have credit card balances and those balances are rising.