Pepper your wardrobe with 'Gatsby' glitz for less

Baz Luhrmann's big screen adaption of "The Great Gatsby" is a spotlight on Roaring Twenties glam fashions, but you don't need a wallet the size of Jay Gatsby's to get the look.

Subdued mood on the last holiday shopping weekend

ATLANTA | Christmas shoppers thronged malls and pounced on discounts but apparently spent less this year, their spirits dampened by concerns about the economy and the aftermath of shootings and storms.

When working from home goes wrong

NEW YORK | Nearly every office dweller fantasizes about the joys of working from home: Dressing in PJs instead of suits. Eating from the fridge and not the vending machine. Listening to birds chirp instead of the boss bark.

Retailers' gains in October could hurt holidays

NEW YORK | Americans spent briskly in October before Superstorm Sandy hit the Northeast on the tail-end of the month. But the question is whether they're still willing to buy an iPhone for Christmas if they plunked down hundreds on a generator for Sandy?

Best Buy 2Q profit drops 90%, misses estimates

NEW YORK | The news just keeps getting worse at Best Buy each day.

NBC's reality TV show 'Fashion Star' puts designs in stores immediately

The stakes are high. The judges are brutal. The challenges are difficult. And the contestants are determined to be the next Calvin Klein or Ralph Lauren.

Are you a 'midnight buyer' or a 'self-gifter?'

Four types of American shoppers have altered the shopping landscape this holiday season.

Consumer confidence index surges in December

NEW YORK | Americans are gaining faith that the economy is on the upswing.

Research firm boosts holiday outlook

NEW YORK | With about week until Christmas, optimism is rising that holiday sales will be better than originally forecast. Still, the season isn't expected to end up being stellar.

Malone's Barnes & Noble bid a bet on the Nook

NEW YORK | Why buy a bookstore?

Some stores finding deep discounts aren't enough

NEW YORK | A dollar for a 40-ounce bottle of ketchup? Yawn. Four bucks for a 12-pack of Coke? No sale.

Teen stores in tight spot for back to school

NEW YORK | Half-priced jeans and promotional freebies are already popping up at the mall with the start of school still weeks away.

Stores push summertime 'Christmas' sales

NEW YORK (AP) — Santa in the summer?

Retailers' reports show tepid May for shoppers

NEW YORK | Shoppers are still showing some scars from the recession. In a May filled with wild stock market swings, consumers gave retailers only slim revenue gains over a terrible May 2009.

Retailers prepare for consumer comeback

NEW YORK | Retailers are priming for a consumer comeback.

Wal-Mart profit rises, but US sales in squeeze

NEW YORK | The recovering U.S. economy may be a mixed blessing for Wal-Mart.

Penney joins retail profit party; outlook muted

NEW YORK | J.C. Penney Co. finished a week of retail earnings reports that showed big improvements in sales and profits. But amid the gains, a string of muted outlooks fueled worries on Wall Street that the consumer comeback might not pick up steam.

eBay makes a big play for fashion

NEW YORK | eBay Inc. may be the biggest online clothing seller, but it's still known for selling other people's castoffs. Now it wants shoppers to think of it when looking for trendy duds like hipster jeans and red ballerina flats.

Consumers slowly show signs of springing back

NEW YORK | Signs of life in consumer spending are sprouting this spring.

Sharp fall in consumer confidence spurs fears

NEW YORK | Americans' outlook on the economy went into relapse in February. Rising job worries sent a key barometer of confidence to its lowest point in 10 months, raising concerns about the economic recovery.

Wal-Mart profit rises 22 percent for 4Q

NEW YORK | Wal-Mart Stores Inc., one of the recession's biggest beneficiaries, felt the pinch during the fourth quarter as quarterly sales fell at U.S. Walmart stores for the first time.

December retail sales show signs of life

NEW YORK | Last-minute holiday shoppers brought relief to the nation's retailers, handing them modest sales gains for the season and prompting several chains to raise their fourth-quarter profit outlooks.

Walmart.com CEO aims dominate Web retailing

NEW YORK | Division CEO Raul Vazquez says Walmart.com's holiday sales grew two or three times faster than Web sales overall.

Smart Spending: 7 ways to use gift cards wisely

NEW YORK | Did you get a stash of gift cards for the holidays? Better use them wisely.

East Coast snowstorm took toll on holiday sales

NEW YORK | Super Saturday -- the last Saturday before Christmas and usually ranked as the biggest or second-biggest sales day of the year -- got walloped by a big East Coast snow storm that kept many shoppers at home.

Walmart.com CEO aims dominate Web retailing

NEW YORK | With a week to go before Christmas, division CEO Raul Vazquez says Walmart.com's holiday sales are growing two or three times faster than Web sales overall.

Few deep discounts as shopping hits stretch run

NEW YORK | If you were hoping to find massive clearance sales as you finish up your holiday shopping, prepare to be disappointed.

Retailers report surprise drop in November

NEW YORK | A decline in sales at the nation's retailers in November after two consecutive months of gains is an ominous warning sign for the holiday shopping season and for an economy in the early stages of a fragile recovery.

Wal-Mart, Kohl's: Holidays could be rough

NEW YORK | Shoppers' focus on staples such as socks and underwear is driving murky holiday outlooks at Wal-Mart and Kohl's, even as both posted higher third-quarter earnings Thursday.

Can't find the hot new toy? Blame the economy

NEW YORK | Robotic toy hamsters, the latest Barbie dolls and stylish boots are disappearing from store shelves as holiday shoppers start to get serious. But don't confuse this with the days of Tickle Me Elmo.

Retailers see sales begin to recover in September

NEW YORK | The nation's stores saw some signs of life from consumers in September, resulting in the first sales gain since July 2008 and fueling some hope for the holiday shopping season.

Americans still struggling, gauging by corp profit

NEW YORK | People aren't just shopping more at Family Dollar. They're buying the cheapest stuff on its racks. Even Pizza Hut's sales are slowing as consumers seek fast-food bargains.

Recession-stung stores plan old-fashioned holidays

NEW YORK | Stores are turning back the clock, conjuring images of hearth and home as they stock their holiday merchandise.

Consumer confidence unexpectedly falls in September

NEW YORK | Concerns that consumers won't help drive a speedy and strong economic recovery only escalated Tuesday after a widely watched barometer of confidence fell unexpectedly in September.

Consumer strain: Pens and notebooks put on layaway

NEW YORK | To gauge consumers' strain, look no further than the rows and rows of plastic bags awaiting layaway payments at Kmart. They are filled with back-to-school basics -- not just T-shirts and jeans but notebooks, magic markers and pencils.

Wal-Mart 2Q profit beats forecast but sales fall

NEW YORK | Tighter inventory controls helped Wal-Mart Stores Inc. earn more than Wall Street forecast in its second quarter, but the key barometer of same-stores sales fell at the world's largest retailer for its U.S. stores -- a worrisome confirmation of broad weakness in consumer spending.

Sluggish July sales show tight-fisted consumers

NEW YORK | Shoppers remained tight-fisted in July, resulting in sluggish sales for many merchants and raising concern about the back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons and for the broader economic recovery.

Signs show slow start on back-to-school sales

NEW YORK | It's still early, but analysts' grades already are coming in: the back-to-school shopping season is off to a lousy start.

Consumer confidence falls further in July

NEW YORK | Americans' confidence in the economy eroded further in July as worries about job security offset any enthusiasm about the resumed stock market rally that has helped bolster retirement accounts.

Retailers focus on standout items to spur spending

NEW YORK | Americans are increasingly shopping in their own closets for new looks, so merchants are diving in to help out.

Summer looks like a washout for some retailers

NEW YORK | As consumers celebrate July Fourth, many merchants already have dismissed summer as a washout.

Wal-Mart aims to keep a new flock of customers

The recession steered a new type of customer to Wal-Mart -- deeper in the pockets and suddenly looking for bargains. Now the world's largest retailer has to figure out how to keep that customer when the economy recovers.

Stores, brands tap into power of frugal bloggers

NEW YORK | When Melissa Garcia was frustrated by Old Navy's scanty coupon offerings, she didn't just complain to the store. She vented on a message board tied to her blog consumerqueen.com, which is read by at least 30,000 people each month and now, increasingly, by corporate America.

Consumer confidence soars in May

NEW YORK | Consumer confidence extended its rebound in May, soaring to the highest level since last September as more shoppers are feeling the worst of the recession is behind them.

Butter, Kool-Aid in limelight in advertising shift

NEW YORK | The frill is gone.

Extreme cheapskates: Tightwads revel in frugality

NEW YORK | Amy VanDeventer has always been a cheapskate. The recession is taking her to new extremes.

Consumer confidence plummets to new low in Feb

NEW YORK | Americans' already battered confidence in the economy went into free fall in February, sinking to new lows as consumers grow more fearful over massive job cuts and shrinking retirement accounts.

Macy's to cut 7,000 jobs, slash dividend

NEW YORK | Macy's Inc. announced Monday that it will cut 7,000 jobs, almost 4 percent of its work force, reduce its contributions to its employees' retirement funds and slash its dividend to preserve cash amid a severe pullback in consumer spending.

Retailers overhaul business as consumers pull back

NEW YORK | For years, retailers could afford to be sloppy about running their businesses because customers kept buying.

Retailers report dismal December sales

NEW YORK | Retailers reported dismal sales figures for December on Thursday as even Wal-Mart Stores Inc., one of the bright spots in the industry, finally buckled under the pressures of the deteriorating economy.