On a hot, humid day in Washington, D.C., customers are lined up at the registers of an H&M clothing store waiting to make their purchases.

In the consumer-packaged-goods (CPG) sector, there’s no shortage of online interaction between consumers and brands these days.

Sales gains at U.S. retailers probably slowed during May as concerns about the economy crimped purchases in the second half of the month.

Customers go quiet… they just do. They may no longer buy a product or service, or they may have stopped interacting with the brand altogether.

America has become a nation of penny pinchers.
The economic meltdown was the 500-pound catalyst, but even amid signs the economy is picking up, many of us still are pinching away. It’s a trend that analysts say reflects a seismic — and perhaps lasting — change in our spending habits, and retailers are responding.

In an industry obsessed with the wants and needs of women, men have been an afterthought among retail and marketing executives for as long as many can remember.

The former casual Friday staple was overtaken in recent years by denim. But the beige twill is finding its way into sportswear collections and high-fashion designs and appears poised for a comeback.

Youth-oriented retailers report strong sales for the second consecutive month, nurturing hopes of a broader upswing.

Consumers may be emerging from the Great Recession a little more willing to spend these days, but they’re still incredibly price-conscious and making smaller, more frequent purchases rather than loading up on costlier bulk goods.

In a world consumed with technology, where Twitter and Facebook are the new “hot spot” for social interactions, where–or rather how–does the department store fit in?

A string of surprisingly strong corporate earnings reports and economic data show that U.S. consumers have emerged from a long hibernation to start spending again on everything from new TVs and restaurant meals to spring outfits.

Retailers are likely to see more green this St. Patrick’s Day, according to a recent survey from the National Retail Federation.

Don’t look to Baby Boomers to lead the way in consumer spending in the months ahead. A new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and Retail Forward, owned by Kantar Retail, says that this recovery — unlike those in last few decades — will be shaped by the values of tech-loving Gen Y, and to a lesser degree, affluent members of Gen X.

When Greg Schmidt was shopping for a bathroom vanity just before Valentine’s Day, paying regular price never was an option. When he found one he liked on clearance — its price slashed more than 30 percent — Schmidt knew it was time to find a manager of the Alton Lowe’s store.

Women are starting to buy clothes for themselves again, an encouraging sign for retailers as spring approaches. A new report suggests that women, middle-income ones in particular, finally are feeling good enough about the economy that they will splurge on a piece of clothing.

Imagine getting a promotion and being publicly praised by the boss for your hard work. On the way home, do you buy a fancy watch or comfy couch?

Disney, the company that created “the happiest place on earth” and cornered the market on pink, is embracing a darker aesthetic as it reaches out to an unlikely audience for new merchandise: female “goths.”

The mobile phone is more than just a device for speaking to people while on the go. Consumers are using it more often to compare and shop for deals and products.

Reality show stars Kim, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian can now sell the clothes right off their backs to their fans.

Retail sales rose in January as consumers bought more electronics and appliances, but a separate consumer-sentiment index fell in February, highlighting the mixed signals coming from the economy.