How retail’s biggest event became a letdown

Black Friday early morning shoppers rush in as the doors are opened at a Walmart store in Fairfax, Virginia, Nov. 28, 2008. Gerald Martineau | The Washington Post | Getty Images Black Friday has long been defined by massive crowds, rock-bottom prices and rabid consumers willing to bite, scratch and claw their way to the…

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Grocery prices to remain high despite Trump tariff changes

President Donald Trump announced on Nov. 14 that his administration is rolling back select tariffs on items including coffee, beef, cocoa and bananas, as he faces blowback for high grocery prices. But that doesn’t mean those prices are coming down anytime soon. Consumer price relief will take time, according to supply chain management data and history. The…

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Consumers flash holiday warning signs

Shoppers walk through Manhattan on Nov. 7, 2025, in New York City. Spencer Platt | Getty Images High-income consumers are trading down, Gen Z is spending less, and low-income shoppers are still struggling, according to many consumer companies that shared their latest quarterly results in recent weeks. Those trends may not bode well for the…

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What executives expect for the holiday season

There’s just two months until Christmas Eve, and retailers are meeting a more cautious shopper with earlier offerings. Most retailers won’t report third-quarter results or updated holiday expectations until just before Thanksgiving, largely considered the sector’s most important week of the year. By then, many shoppers will have already started checking off holiday shopping lists….

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Key financial steps for the end of the year

Strauss/curtis | The Image Bank | Getty Images Early in the fourth quarter is an ideal time to tackle some financial planning tasks that set you up for success for the rest of the year — and into 2026.  “It’s absolutely a great time to do that,” said Dan Moisand, a certified financial planner and…

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