Topic - National Retail Federation

• For PajamaGram, ads targeted like Cupid's arrows

  Their product line, touted in a flood of commercials on cable news channels and ad spots on talk radio this time of year, may include the toasty-warm Leopard Skin Hoodie-Footie and the slinky Midnight Fantasy Baby Doll Tap Set, but the marketers at PajamaGram Co. have no illusions about the gender of their target customer base.

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  Sears, Kmart failed to anticipate their customers' needs

  Sears Holding Corp., which owns the two ubiquitous retail names Sears and Kmart, announced this week that it would shutter 100 to 120 stores, citing poor holiday-season sales. The move came as little surprise to retail strategists who say the issue wasn't simply weak 2011 sales.

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  No rest for the weary as post-Christmas rush to stores begins

  Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the crunch time of last-minute Christmas shopping are past, but retailers say they anticipate an equally busy Monday as shoppers take advantage of the three-day holiday weekend.

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  Last-minute buyers top off strong shopping season

  Last-minute shoppers hit stores on Christmas Eve in a surge that is expected to top off an unexpectedly strong U.S. holiday shopping season.

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  Shoppers give retailers early Christmas gift

  The Christmas shopping season started with a bang and the consumer mood is brightening at a critical time during the month that brings a quarter of the year's retail sales in the U.S.

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  Turning blue from shopping?

  Cyber Monday. Green Tuesday. Black Friday. Magenta Saturday.

• Another manic Cyber-Monday

  Shoppers seem to be just as enthusiastic about shopping on their computers and smartphones on Cyber-Monday as they were about finding deals over the weekend.

• Economy Briefs

  Retail groups are suing the Federal Reserve, claiming the central bank didn't follow the law when it set a cap on fees that banks can charge merchants for handling debit card purchases.

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  Black Friday starting earlier this year

  Count your blessings, then get to work.

• VERSACE: Who needs movies with drama like this?

  Fall normally is characterized by cooling weather, leaves turning colors and the return of dramas to the movie box office.

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  Visa adopts policies to speed up change to using smartcards

  The next time you swipe your credit card to pay for something, consider this: It's a ritual the rest of the world deems outdated and unsafe.

• US gets chance to catch up on credit card security

  The next time you swipe your credit card at check-out, consider this: It's a ritual the rest of the world deems outdated and unsafe.

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  Hype trumping sales in mobile shopping

  When it comes to mobile shopping, so far there's more buzz than buy. As the number of people who use iPhones and other smartphones grows, companies selling everything from hardware to high fashion are touting all the new applications they're rolling out that enable shoppers to do anything from check a store's inventory while in the dressing room to order prescriptions.

• Mobile shopping: More buzz than buy so far

  When it comes to mobile shopping, so far there's more buzz than buy.

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  California, Amazon still bickering over online sales tax

  California's clash with Amazon.com over online collection of the state's sales tax has become a political battle for the Golden State and it could rattle Internet commerce nationwide.

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