Retail sales show healthy jump in April

May 30, 2018

April's retail sales were 0.4 percent higher compared to March and 2.8 percent higher compared to a year ago.

Retail grad celebration spend projected to hit $5B

May 22, 2018

While spending on graduation gifts and celebrations won't hit a record-setting figure this year it's still not too shabby given a projection of $5.2 billion.

Jewelry, outings top Mother's Day gift list

May 9, 2018

Just over one third of Mother's Day shoppers, 34 percent, will spend $4.6 billion on jewelry for moms and 55 percent will spend $4.4 billion on food…

Mother's Day spend may hit $23B

May 8, 2018

This year may mark the second-highest spend for Mother's Day, hitting an expected $23.1 billion.

Study: Millennials aren't shopping like older parent generations

May 1, 2018

As millennials move into the age of having children, their shopping habits and activities are a bit different than previous consumer generations.

Retail jobs grew by 46,000 in February

March 28, 2018

The number of retail industry jobs increased by 46,400 in February and the National Retail Federation calls it a "significant positive sign" for the industry…

Easter spend expected to be very robust

March 26, 2018

Easter spending is predicted to hit $18.2 billion, nearly as high as last year's record-setting $18.4 billion, according to a National Retail Federation and…

St. Patrick's Day spend will hit record-setting $5.9B, claims survey

March 6, 2018

Lots of Americans will be spending money to celebrate the annual Irish holiday, St. Patrick’s Day, to the tune of $5.9 billion this year.

NRF taps BJ's CEO as chairman

February 2, 2018

BJ's Wholesale Club President and CEO Christopher J. Baldwin has been elected chairman of the National Retail Federation's board of directors.

November retail beats last year's sales by 6%

December 28, 2017

It was a happy November for retailers as sales increased 6 percent compared to a year ago, according to the National Retail Federation.

Consumers will be busy this holiday weekend

November 21, 2017

More than 164 million consumers (69 percent of Americans) plan to shop or will consider shopping between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday.

Survey: Younger shoppers expected to spend the most this holiday

November 17, 2017

Young adults, ages 18 to 24 years old, are expected to spend more this holiday season given more disposable income, according to a survey from the National…

Retail jobs on decline after big weather events

November 7, 2017

The retail industry lost 18,000 jobs in October, according to the National Retail Federation, and while it's hard to pinpoint specific reasons, extreme weather…

Father's Day spend will likely be record-setting event

June 15, 2017

Americans will spend more on Dad this year than in the past with Father's Day spending expected to hit a record-setting high of $15.5 billion, according to the…

Infusion Retail Experience Lounge, New York

This year at NRF, Inclusion brought some highlights from its New York Experience Lounge. Although the "Big Show" has come and gone, the Lounge itself is still…

NRF bulletin: Personalization done right

by James Tenser — Principal, VSN Strategies

I've been on record many times as a hater of shopper loyalty, but an advocate of intelligent personalization.

NRF 2014: The show floor, in tweets and vines

Attendees made good use of social media at this year's BIG Show.

Holiday retail sales come in at NRF expectations

January 15, 2014

Severe winter weather did not dampen December retail sales as shoppers took advantage of heavy promotions and last-minute deals. According to the National…

NRF 2014: The coolest new products, and why

Many of today's coolest new products are the result of the small daily activities of consumers.

Smartrac highlights its contribution to Thinaire's NFC RFID-based solution for Bon-Ton

January 14, 2014

Department store operator Bon-Ton has engaged Thinaire, a provider of RF engagement marketing solutions, to turn shoes on display into mobile marketing…