necessities

Gift cards may be popular for necessities

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:27:27 -0600

Forget the wish list. Shoppers may be giving the gift of necessity this holiday season, buying up cards for gas, groceries and even utilities to help friends and family through lean times.

Retailers report mixed sales results in July

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 07:44:45 -0500

Americans are increasingly shifting their spending to necessities and away from nonessentials like apparel. That has resulted in solid sales gains in July for low-priced operators like Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and sluggish sales for mall-based apparel chains.

Retailers report May results above expectations

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 07:57:12 -0500

Consumers stepped up their shopping in May after tax rebate checks hit mailboxes, giving many of the nation's retailers stronger than expected sales for the month. Still, there were signs that many people are still focusing on necessities such as food and gas.