Halloween 2024 is still weeks away but that hasn’t stopped people from getting ready for it. According to a recent survey of nearly 8,000 people by the National Retail Federation, 47 % began their Halloween shopping before October, up from 32% just 10 years ago.  What’s the reason for the Halloween head-start? Most (48%) say…

Another once strong American retail chain is set to fall to one store in the U.S., not dissimilar to the fall of Blockbuster. Discount department store Kmart plans to shut the doors of its last full-size store in the U.S. The Long Island location will close on Oct. 20, leaving just one smaller Kmart left…

An 8-year-old Ohio girl took her mother’s SUV for a Target run, police said, and part of her journey was caught on camera. Dashcam video from another vehicle recorded part of the child’s trip as the concerned driver called authorities about the erratic SUV. Police said the girl was reported missing from her family’s home…

Target and other retailers are hiring tens of thousands of seasonal workers for the holiday season as sales are likely to grow at a slower rate this year. With the unemployment rate at 4.2%, jobseekers hope these opportunities will make it the most wonderful time of the year. Burlington Stores, which has over 1,000 locations…

New data shows teen use of e-cigarettes is at its lowest level in a decade. The 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey found over 1.6 million middle and high school students are still using e-cigarettes, with 500,000 fewer teens reporting they vape compared to last year. It’s a notable decrease, and health officials are pointing to…

Five Baltimore-area Giant grocery stores banned shoppers under 18 inside their stores without an adult after 6 p.m. beginning on Thursday, Aug. 22. The company said the new measure is to combat an “unsustainable” and “unprecedented” rise in retail theft at the stores. The new policy will have store employees asking for proof of age…

Target surprised Wall Street on Wednesday, Aug. 21, with a strong second-quarter performance, beating both earnings and revenue expectations. Customer traffic increased across both in-store and online channels, driven by strategic price cuts and new loyalty initiatives. Despite these gains, the company remains cautious about the future, as economic uncertainties and evolving consumer habits present…

Walmart is thriving as consumers shift their spending habits, propelling its stock to a record high. This year, Walmart’s stock has surged 29%, outperforming competitors like Target and Home Depot. Walmart’s recent quarterly earnings surpassed Wall Street expectations, reporting $169.3 billion in revenue. Following these results, the company raised its full-year sales growth forecast. They…

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is looking to figure out how artificial intelligence (AI) impacts consumer prices. Specifically, the agency is looking into “surveillance pricing.” Surveillance pricing is when technology is used to analyze consumer data to set prices for things, which the FTC says allows companies to charge different customers different prices. It uses people’s…

Police in Oregon said they discovered more than 4,000 allegedly stolen Lego sets worth more than $200,000 at toy store known as Brick Builders near Eugene, Oregon, on Tuesday, July 9. The store’s owner and an employee are facing charges of organized retail theft and receiving stolen merchandise. The organized theft charge alone carries a…