shoppers

WHAT HAPPENED: The nation's retailers reported dismal sales for September as the financial meltdown took its toll on shoppers.

Alarmed by the financial meltdown, stores nationwide are slapping sale signs on everything from fall sweaters to furniture — frantically trying to attract shoppers who are cutting back.

Alarmed by the financial meltdown, stores nationwide are slapping sale signs on everything from fall sweaters to furniture — frantically trying to attract shoppers who are cutting back.

Home improvement chain The Home Depot Inc. says it plans to temporarily cut prices on up to 1,200 items in stores during a three-week rollout to bring customers back to its stores.

The discounts — between 5 percent and 50 percent — will last through at least through the next quarter.

At a time when shoppers are forking over more money for everything from groceries to gas, The Home Depot Inc. is planning to put some prices temporarily in reverse.

Many of the nation’s retailers struggled with a sluggish back-to-school season, as shoppers focused on buying essentials amid persistent worries about high gas and food prices.

In a bid to pull hesitant shoppers into their stores, retailers are slashing prices on everything from jeans to dinnerware.

But those fat discounts will likely come at a big cost.

WHAT'S NEW: Despite cutting inventories, stores are being forced to be even more aggressive about discounting than a year ago in an effort to lure financially squeezed shoppers.

In a bid to pull hesitant shoppers into their stores, retailers are slashing prices on everything from jeans to dinnerware.

But those fat discounts will likely come at a big cost for the companies.

Once relegated to the dank corners of the basement, shoppers are re-embracing the deep freezer, stashing bulk-sized purchases of meats, fruits and vegetables there as they