Retail

Commentator Frances Frei says automation needs to improve the customer experience, not frustrate it.

Retail is getting more and more "robotified," and where it's most evident is the self checkout kiosks at supermarkets. Retail clerks are finding themselves displaced by the machines.

Diane Von Furstenberg creates a collection for GapKids in a move to build its brand among shoppers in training.

The top policy makers at the Federal Reserve are holding a meeting today in Washington to decide what to do next when it comes to monetary policy. Will they shift their focus now that we have signs of economic recovery?

Taking its cue from grocery stores and drug stores, Bloomingdale's will offer a loyalty card that is not tied to a store credit card. The cards go to shoppers, but the department store chain may reap the biggest rewards.

This week we're finding out how department stores have been faring. Macy's and Saks are in good shape; today, Kohl's says its yearly sales rose. Department stores can tell us a lot about the health of the economy — at least part of it.

Walmart boosted U.S. sales in the latest quarter, but shoppers were drawn to lower-priced products and that hit profit margins.

The government said this morning that retail sales inched up 0.4 percent last month. That was lower than expected.