Read more retail stories on Newserhttp://www.newser.com/taggrid/280/retail.html2009 - Newseren-usNewser Feed GeneratorTue, 24 Nov 2009 12:36:35 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/74512/how-twilight-rescued-hot-topic.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagLike much of America, Ylan Q. Mui had forgotten all about Hot Topic, the mall mainstay for baby Goth merchandise—and then Twilight came along and made the store relevant again. The uber-popular vampire franchise “accomplished what the store had tried but failed to do: It made goth mainstream,” Mui...http://www.newser.com/story/74512/how-twilight-rescued-hot-topic.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagFri, 20 Nov 2009 11:34:49 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/74335/jc-penney-ditching-big-book-catalog.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagRetailer JC Penney is discontinuing its Big Book—the 1,000-page catalog as big as a telephone book—as customers increasingly buy from jcp.com. The Penney Big Book has long been a cultural fixture for many, but younger customers aren't following suit. "It was an outdated way of shopping...http://www.newser.com/story/74335/jc-penney-ditching-big-book-catalog.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagWed, 18 Nov 2009 17:00:00 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/73351/iphone-users-get-leg-up-on-black-friday.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagIf you’re already getting your Black Friday game face on, consider making the Black Friday app the first thing on your shopping list. The free program from dealnews can keep you up to date on both officially announced bargains and deals that have “leaked,” and lets you save them to...http://www.newser.com/story/73351/iphone-users-get-leg-up-on-black-friday.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagThu, 05 Nov 2009 22:51:29 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/72539/women-drive-recovery-but-dissed-by-retail.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagWomen who shop til they drop are stimulating the economy more than any Ben Bernanke, but the planet's greatest spending bloc feels dissed by retailers and service providers. Women control $20 trillion in annual consumer spending in the world—a figure likely to climb to $28 trillion by 2014. Despite...http://www.newser.com/story/72539/women-drive-recovery-but-dissed-by-retail.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagMon, 26 Oct 2009 2:32:30 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/72348/be-balloon-boy-for-halloween.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagIt was inevitable: a Canadian model airplane company is selling “Balloon Boy” Halloween costumes on its website. For $19.99, you get a 38-inch mylar balloon with a small gondola. Supply your own helium, cardboard box, and string, notes ABC Denver. "Now you, too, can enjoy all the media attention...http://www.newser.com/story/72348/be-balloon-boy-for-halloween.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagThu, 22 Oct 2009 17:38:12 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/71985/target-will-pay-shoppers-to-bring-their-own-bags.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagTarget and CVS will reward customers for using reusable shopping bags, and the efforts could take a billion plastic bags out of circulation. Though some retailers—notably Wal-Mart—have been slow to hop on the eco bandwagon, initiatives at smaller chains such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's have met...http://www.newser.com/story/71985/target-will-pay-shoppers-to-bring-their-own-bags.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagMon, 19 Oct 2009 14:31:13 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/71118/neiman-fantasy-gift-pricetags-plummet-to-mere-250k.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagThe slowdown in luxury spending has spurred Neiman Marcus to make its "fantasy items" in this year's Christmas catalog a lot less fantastic than in years past. For the first time in a decade there's no $1 million-plus items on offer, like the $20 million submarine offered in 2000 or...http://www.newser.com/story/71118/neiman-fantasy-gift-pricetags-plummet-to-mere-250k.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagWed, 07 Oct 2009 3:39:38 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/70468/christmas-in-september-leaves-shoppers-cold.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagLook around your local department store, and you might encounter a ridiculous site: a Christmas display. Yes, retailers are already decking their halls, desperate to get a piece of consumers’ dwindling holiday budgets before their competitors do. Consumers aren't buying it. “You can’t get in the Christmas spirit in September...http://www.newser.com/story/70468/christmas-in-september-leaves-shoppers-cold.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagMon, 28 Sep 2009 15:32:19 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/69562/abercrombie-sues-beyonce-over-fierce-fragrance.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagAbercrombie & Fitch has filed a lawsuit against Beyoncé in a tussle over her new fragrance, named for alter ego Sasha Fierce, Women's Wear Daily reports. A&F says it has owned the Fierce trademark since 2003, and that her plan "poses a likelihood of confusion" in the big-bucks market—this...http://www.newser.com/story/69562/abercrombie-sues-beyonce-over-fierce-fragrance.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagWed, 16 Sep 2009 14:56:27 CDT