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It's barely fall, but retailers are already gearing up for the holiday season

Sep 24, 2024
It may only be September, but Macy's is set to hire nearly 32,000 seasonal workers, and Walmart has already announced its earliest deals.
Retail giants like Walmart are gearing up for the holidays with plans to hire thousands of seasonal workers.
CARLOS JASSO/AFP via Getty Images

The spookiest thing about Halloween? The waste.

Oct 29, 2021
By one estimate, Americans will spend more than $10 billion on candy, costumes and decor this year.
A jack-o'-lantern sits in a garbage can after Halloween night.
rudigobbo via Getty Images

What's happening to the makers of holiday party attire?

Dec 17, 2020
There's an entire supply chain behind that sparkly dress.
Sparkly, sequined dresses for New Year's Eve? Not this year.
Svetikd via Getty Images

What's greener: a real Christmas tree or a fake one?

Dec 24, 2019
It depends! The Christmas tree a potent symbol not just for the season but for the sustainability of many things we buy.
It's not easy being green.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Ahead of July 4, average gas prices jump about a nickel

Jul 3, 2019
In some parts of the country, the issue is supply, while other states see new gas taxes.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Book printers are reporting a surprising end-of-year crunch

Jan 1, 2019
For the first time in a decade the industry is seeing more demand than it can supply.
"Now we get about five to 10 queries every single week from people who are really faced with the prospect of having to turn their home environment into their office environment," said Nick Bates, CEO of Bookbarn International.
iStock/Getty Images

Why consumers and retailers alike love gift cards

Dec 24, 2018
There’s even something in there for the government.
 That wall of different gift cards hanging on hooks at the end of a drugstore or grocery story aisle actually has a name: the gift card mall.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

We're still not sick of Christmas music, believe it or not

Dec 24, 2018
Holiday music is more popular than ever, but that doesn't mean it's easy to make jingle bells rock.
The brothers in Hanson — Zac, Taylor and Isaac — are reissuing their 1997 holiday album "Snowed In" this year. Their second holiday album, "Finally it's Christmas," came out in 2017.
Peter Balonon-Rosen/Marketplace
Danielle Panabaker plays Joy Holbrook in "Christmas Joy," a 2018 original Hallmark movie.
Eike Schroter/Copyright 2018 Crown Media United States LLC

The retail industry got a gift this holiday season

Jan 2, 2018
Retailers posted strong sales in late 2017, despite the growth of online shopping.
 “2017 was a real rocky road for a lot of retailers, especially in the apparel sector,” says Elizabeth Holmes, who covers retail. Above, Christmas Eve shoppers in New York City in 2015.
Kena Betancur/Getty Images