After 12 years on the job, Derek Christian tired of selling cleaning supplies at Procter & Gamble and yearned to become an entrepreneur. So in 2007, he acquired My Maid Service, a cleaning company in Lebanon, Ohio, that catered to the needs of an affluent clientele in Cincinnati.

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.

Walgreen Co., the biggest U.S. drugstore chain, agreed to buy Duane Reade Holdings Inc. from affiliates of Oak Hill Capital Partners for $1.08 billion, including debt, to expand in metropolitan New York.

Simon Property Group would further consolidate its hold on the major shopping destinations of Massachusetts if it succeeds with its $10 billion offer for bankrupt rival General Growth Properties, operator of Faneuil Hall Marketplace and the Natick Collection.

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.

Back-to-back snowstorms on the East Coast have brought a blizzard of sales of shovels, groceries and booze. For airlines and department stores, the region’s wintry weather has resulted in millions of dollars of lost revenue.

As more retailers look to develop effective social-media strategies, a new study finds that Facebook is by far the most effective way to woo would-be shoppers.

In the long run, the record snowfall that has assailed the Washington region will go down as a mere blip in an economic landscape dominated by the recession, the experts say. But that is cold comfort to many local businesses forced to shut down and dig out over the weekend just as they hoped to turn the corner toward recovery.

The 3.3% increase over the previous year cheers merchants but shoppers are still exercising restraint. Nordstrom and TJX post double-digit gains.

Denim apparel is making a comeback in shops and fashion magazines. But some of the new designs—from denim leggings for women and jean shorts for men to head-to-toe denim outfits for both sexes—risk pushing the revived trend too far.

The consumer may be stirring gently this summer. Leisure-products makers are gearing up for the return of vacationers and home-redecorating projects.

Infomercial products are morphing from gizmos marketed to insomniac TV watchers to little splurges for shoppers bargain-hunting at stores like Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Target Corp. and Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.

Loyalty programs represent a large and growing portion of marketing budgets. But according to a new report from the CMO Council, relatively few companies are fully delivering the elements that are most important in acquiring and keeping participants engaged.

The Washington, D.C., bag tax seemed simple enough: Beginning Jan. 1, grocery stores in the district would charge five cents a bag, plastic or paper. The goal was to cut down on waste and raise money to clean up the polluted Anacostia River. But nearly a month into the program, it’s turning out that government is having trouble legislating its way out of a plastic bag.

Finally, beyond the sale of virtual gifts like hugs and angel wings, Facebook has an app that allows you to open an ecommerce storefront via Payvment. Introduced in November 2009, Payvment uses a PayPal shopping cart for its app to work with Facebook Pages.

Haiti’s devastating earthquake has crippled the country’s garment industry, a growing source of jobs and exports and a vital link in trade with South Florida.

Retailers trying to influence moms should pay close attention to their social media efforts and also focus on free items, promotions and discounts, according to a Retail Advertising and Marketing Association (RAMA) survey conducted by BIGresearch.

RECENT RESEARCH SHOWS that buying local campaigns provide only limited and short-lived results for small businesses. So, as budget-conscious consumers turn to mass retailers, Internet and malls for bargains, what can small business owners do? Here are three suggestions.

Tory Burch and Steve Sadove, Chairman and CEO of Saks, spoke on the challenges that have faced luxury retailers during the past year and opportunities for growth in the future at Retail’s BIG show. Read their tips here.

Fashion lines from Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci to Esprit and Comptoir des Cotonniers are bringing out the nautically inspired stripes for spring women’s wear, and menswear designers including Michael Bastian and Burberry Brit are also going with the look.