Wal-Mart Raises Bar on Toy-Safety Standards
Wednesday, May 14 - Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest toy seller, has ordered its suppliers to meet a new set of children's-product safety requirements by this fall that goes far beyond existing government regulations.

Habits change as gas soars
Tuesday, May 13 - State College — As gasoline prices shot up to $3.75.9 a gallon Monday, nearing a new threshold of $4, Centre County residents were driving less and turning more to public transit, fuel-efficient cars and bicycles.

Arlington weighs allowing permanent vendor kiosks
Tuesday, May 13 - Washington - Arlington County is looking to liven up its plazas and parks by allowing permanent vendor kiosks much like the ones that dot the National Mall.

The county permits street vendors to sell their goods from moveable carts or card tables, but officials are considering allowing permanent, built-in-the-ground kiosks for selling such items as flowers, coffee, food or newspapers and magazines.

Retail Sales Show Resiliency in April, According to NRF
Tuesday, May 13 - Washington – After several months of lackluster sales, retailers finally have a reason to cheer. According to the National Retail Federation, retail industry sales for April (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) rose 2.3 percent unadjusted over last year and 0.6 percent seasonally adjusted month-to-month.

Spending Appears to be Down On Mother's Day
Monday, May 12 - It seems the number one gift for Mother's Day in Fresno, was flowers.

The National Retail Federation estimated $2.7 billion would be spent on major gifts but that wasn't the consensus on Sunday.

Stores vie to offer best bang for your rebate
Monday, May 12 - Stephanie Hinshaw wasted no time last week spending her $600 economic stimulus check.

The 28-year-old college admissions director bought perfume, three pairs of shoes and new clothes for work. Thanks to some retailer discounts, she had enough money left over to buy a plane ticket to visit a friend in Washington, D.C.

Memphians find that sunglasses are both functional and cool
Monday, May 12 - Perhaps it's the long, hot summers that make us Memphians reach for our shades, or the threatening glare of The Pyramid that blinds Downtown drivers as they merge onto I-40.

Or maybe it's the reduced ozone layer, allowing the sun's rays to focus with cathode-like intensity on our faces, causing us to squint, grow skin cancers and develop cataracts. Whatever the reason, we Memphians love our sunglasses.

High-end shopping goes to the dogs at Newport Beach's Fashion Island mall
Sunday, May 11 - Welcome to Orange County's unofficial dog mall, otherwise known as Fashion Island -- an upscale collection of shops and restaurants in the even more upscale enclave of Newport Beach. Startling as it may be to out-of-town shoppers, dogs are everywhere, even inside Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus and Macy's.

Many wait till last minute to buy Mother's Day gift
Saturday, May 10 - Corpus Christi — My mama told me, "You better shop around."

And with Mother's Day rounding the bend, now is the time to put the lovely lady's advice to good use. Hop to it, shoppers.

Precious hours remain before the official celebration begins for the maternal figure who fills that wisdom-sharing role in your life.

Gift Cards and Cash Most Popular Graduation Gifts, According to NRF Survey
Friday, May 9 - Bigger isn’t always better when it comes to gift giving, especially as graduation season approaches. According to the National Retail Federation’s 2008 Graduation Consumer Intentions and Actions survey, conducted by BIGresearch, small-in-size items like gift cards (35.6%) and cash (56.8%) will remain the most popular graduation gifts, while traditional favorites like apparel (10.8%) and electronics (11.6%) will be given by fewer. In addition to gifts, many consumers also plan to give a greeting card (35.6%) to graduates.

Organic Buyers More Open To New Experiences Than Average
Friday, May 9 - Consumers that regularly purchase organic products are 153% more open to new experiences than the general population, according to a new study by Mindset Media and Nielsen Online.

Caviar kiosk gets green light to serve wine in Aventura Mall
Friday, May 9 - A small kiosk that has been selling pricey tins of caviar and foie gras for 11 years at the Aventura Mall will be allowed to serve glasses of wine and champagne to customers sampling their food, thanks to a special approval granted by the city.

Mall developer seeks out tenants new to area
Thursday, May 8 - Joliet -- The Bridge Street Town Centre would add 1.5 million square feet of retail space to Joliet. But how much of that space would be taken by stores moving out of other spots around town?

Not much if developer O&S Holdings' outlook holds true.

Grand Opening of Five VEGAS.com Mini Boutiques within Marshall Retail Locations Offers Unique Las Vegas Shopping
Thursday, May 8 - Las Vegas— VEGAS.com and Marshall Retail Group today unveil five store-within-a-store concepts in retail locations around Las Vegas. Part of a multi-year, multi-faceted deal, MRG and VEGAS.com have partnered to provide quirky and fun Las Vegas souvenirs and iconic Vegas merchandise.

Retail sales may climb as temperatures rise
Tuesday, May 6 - New York (Reuters) - Retail sales in April are expected to show a slight improvement from an abysmal March as warmer weather drove demand for spring merchandise, but Wall Street still expects signs of weakness at department stores.

Many retailers have been struggling in recent months as cash-strapped consumers pull back on nonessential items like furniture, clothes and jewelry due to soaring food and gasoline prices.

5 Fatal Mistakes for Small Retailing
Thursday, May 1 - In today's fast-moving and ever-changing business environment, mistakes can be fatal. Even at best, statistics show that about half of small businesses last less than two years. My 20-plus years of successfully operating several retail stores have made me a keen observer of the retail scene, and more important, the mistakes made by many retailers that have, in many cases, caused their demise. Even though the list of potential mistakes that retailers can make is long, I have found these five to be some of the most frequent and devastating.

U.S. retailers' sales rose 2.3% last week
Tuesday, May 6 - U.S. retail sales rose the most last week since February as consumers bought Easter gifts and clothing.

Sales at stores open at least a year advanced 2.3 percent from the same week a year earlier, the International Council of Shopping Centers and UBS Securities LLC said today in a statement. Retail sales probably increased as much as 2 percent in April, the group reiterated.

U.S. Weekly ICSC Retail Sales Decrease as Gas Prices Rise, Redbook Sales Advance
Tuesday, May 6 - Consumers faced yet another record week of oil prices at the pump in the week ending May 3, contributing to a week-over-week decline in retail sales across the nation, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Redbook retail sales showed some advance on a year-over-year basis.

From PJs to purses, customers reveling in Americana's 'retail experience'
Friday, May 2 - Glendale - It's no wonder The Americana at Brand has been dubbed "The Grove on steroids," as a riot of middle to high-end specialty shops, boutiques, restaurants, movie theaters and kiosk carts immediately greet eager shoppers.

The new open-air center also looked like a retail-theme amusement park as a giant fountain at the center of a grassy commons area danced during a grand opening Friday morning to the tune of Judy Garland singing "(Come On,) Get Happy."

The Heart&Stroke Put Your Heart Into It! Tour is making a stop at Upper Canada Mall!
Monday, May 5 - Newmarket, ON - Shopping just got a lot heart healthier at Upper Canada Mall. The first-ever Heart&Stroke Put Your Heart into It! Tour will be making an appearance on Wednesday, May 7 until Saturday, May 10 providing shoppers with a free, interactive learning experience about their heart health.