Black Friday deals may not be as good as they once were as the day evolves into more of a marketing event, but that doesn't stop some shoppers from venturing out.

The recession has taught retailers and consumers new lessons about the art of a deal. In the process, Black Friday, the traditional first day of the holiday shopping season, has lost some of its luster.

It's easy to get caught up in the hype surrounding Black Friday, but to truly get the best deals, keep these retail secrets in mind.

With nightmares of Christmas 2008 markdowns dancing in their heads, retailers have slashed inventories to some of the leanest levels in recent memory.

Although consumers are mired in the deepest recession in decades, there are plenty of reasons to believe that this holiday season will not be as bad for retailers as last year.

Battered by the recession, families are scaling back their holiday plans. Here’s why that’s a good thing.

With frugal being the height of fashion, consumers are being increasingly sophisticated in how they hunt for deals.

Gap posted a profit that matched forecasts Thursday, though the retailer edged Wall Street's sales expectations.

After a brutal year in which the nation’s luxury retailers were forced to offer their wares at stunning discounts, they are trying to get their magic back. And they may have found a way: deliberately running low on merchandise. The New York Times reports.

Reckitt Benckiser and Colgate Palmolive both say there is no truth to the speculation of their linking up, CNBC has learned.

The retailer posted a narrower-than-expected quarterly loss, helped by the first increase in same-store sales at its Kmart unit in four years.

While gift cards remain the most requested holiday item, U.S. shoppers are expected to pull back on buying them this year because of the weak economy, according to a retail survey released on Thursday.

U.S. department store operator J.C. Penney said on Wednesday it will stop publishing its twice-yearly "big book" catalogs as consumers increasingly turn to online shopping.

BJ's Wholesale reported a 37 percent drop in quarterly profit Wednesday, hurt by a charge for a proposed legal settlement regarding worker pay.