Although some retailers have already started marking down items and cueing the holiday music, the season will kick off in earnest this week. Retailers are preparing for crowds of shoppers as the holidays approach, with retail sales expected to grow between 3.8% and 4.2% this year to between $727.9 billion and $730.7 billion, according to the National Retail Federation. For...

For many, the holidays spark joy, and are a time to relax in the comfort of family and friends. If you’re in retail, however, it’s a bit of a different story — especially if your business is struggling.

Target on Sunday announced it’s opening dozens of permanent Disney stores within its own stores over the next year, as it invests in more unique ways to lure customers inside.

An unopened copy of a 1987 cult-classic video game that a Nevada man found in the attic of his childhood home is expected to sell for up to $10,000 at an online auction.

Kohl’s, J.C. Penney and Home Depot executives were united in their messaging against additional taxes on imports from China, as they spoke with analysts during post-earnings conference calls Tuesday. Kohl’s, which saw its stock dive to a 52-week low after cutting its earnings estimates, blamed part of the reason for its lower forecast on a hit from tariffs. “Right now...

Sears is opening stores again. The embattled department store chain, which has shut hundreds of Sears and Kmart locations over the years and recently got another shot at life after filing for bankruptcy protection in October, still sees a chance to be a shopping destination for hardline goods like appliances, tools and mattresses. Sears announced this week it will open...

A recent wave of store closure announcements will hit shopping malls across the U.S., leaving hundreds of storefronts empty. Last week, Victoria’s Secret said it will shut around 50 locations in 2019 — when it normally closes closer to a dozen each year; Gap said it’s closing 230 of its namesake brand’s stores over a two-year span; and J.C. Penney...

J.C. Penney is closing more stores following weak holiday sales season for the retailer. Net income tumbled nearly 70 percent, and a key measure for health dropped 4 percent in the fourth-quarter, the most crucial period of the year for retailers who bank on strong holiday sales.

A federal appeals judge ruled Tuesday AT&T’s merger with Time Warner can stand. The ruling brings closer the conclusion of a years-long merger process that has pitted AT&T against U.S. antitrust regulators. Shares of AT&T popped immediately following the news to trade roughly half of 1 percent higher. “The merger of these innovative companies has already yielded significant consumer benefits,...

Macy’s said Tuesday it will cut about 100 management jobs as looks trim costs and improve profitability amid declining sales. The department store chain was able to top lowered expectations for its fourth quarter. But same-store sales came up short of expectations, as tourism spending weakened toward the end of 2018. Macy’s was forced to cut its 2018 outlook last...

J.C. Penney to drop major appliances after a three-year run as it goes back to focusing on clothing.

Sears, the 125-year-old icon, has 24 hours to survive. The employer of more than 68,000 filed for bankruptcy in October. Its last shot at survival is a $4.6 billion proposal put forward by its chairman, Eddie Lampert, to buy the company out of bankruptcy through his hedge fund, ESL Investments. ESL is the only party offering to buy Sears as...

Shoppers pulled out their phones and shopped on Thanksgiving Day to spend more than they ever have before on Turkey Day, potentially stealing some of Black Friday’s thunder. Sales online Thanksgiving Day totaled $3.7 billion, up 28 percent from a year ago, Adobe Analytics said in a report. That makes Thursday the fastest-growing day for e-commerce sales in history, added...

Despite all the changes in retail, one thing remains constant: the holidays are the most crucial season of year. Many retailers can ring up a third or more of their sales during the holiday quarter. The extra shoppers flooding through the doors give retailers like Walmart, Amazon and Target a chance to test new technologies and tout new experiences —...

Sears got its start as a watch seller more than 130 years ago and grew to become one of the world’s largest retailers. But the company has struggled in recent years and on Monday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

J.C. Penney has named Jill Soltau, who most recently served as president and CEO of fabric and crafts chain Jo-Ann Stores, to be its next CEO, effective Oct. 15. Soltau, a 30-year retail veteran, succeeds Marvin Ellison, who resigned this past summer to take the top job at home improvement chain Lowe’s after less than four years at the helm....

Stocks are surging on Wall Street Thursday as China and the U.S. prepare to hold their first trade discussions in months, a potential sign of progress toward ending the trade war between them. Walmart is climbing after the retailer said its sales climbed in second quarter. Metals prices rose sharply, a day after a big drop, and the price of...

A man was stabbed during a fight inside Queens Center Mall Friday evening, authorities say. The 27-year-old victim was stabbed in the head when he and his 26-year-old brother were attacked by a group of five men in the food court at the mall in Elmhurst, police said.  He was taken to Elmhurst Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.  Four...

A man was stabbed in the head during a brawl at Queens Center Mall, police say. Michael George reports.

It’s the beauty aisles themselves getting makeovers now. Department stores are being forced to rethink how they sell higher-end makeup and perfume as competition intensifies from discounters like Target, specialty chains like Sephora and Ulta and online brands. So stores like Saks and Macy’s are promising workouts for your face, augmented reality and beauty treatment concierges as they try to...