Cash-strapped consumers should have more left in their wallets when they finish shopping for their Thanksgiving feast this year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual price survey.
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Hoping to increase sales and traffic in their restaurants, fast-food and fast-casual operators are cranking up the menu innovation to produce items that stray from the gastronomic norm.
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The Cost of Thanksgiving Dinner 2009
Posted By: Christina Cheddar Berk
Put this on your list of things to be thankful for this year: the average cost of this year’s turkey dinner and all the fixings will take a smaller bite out of your wallet.
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Dollar General Trades Higher After Its IPO
Posted By: Christina Cheddar Berk
Dollar General's public offering may have priced at the low-end of its expected range, but investors are flocking to the company's shares on its first day of trading.
Sports Betting Web Site Sets Odds on Black Friday
Posted By: Christina Cheddar Berk
This year retailers won't be the only ones betting big on Black Friday sales.
Bookmaker.com , a leading sports betting Web site, has put together odds on consumer spending habits during this year's Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, which has traditionally been seen as the start of Christmas holiday shopping season.
What's The Forecast from Retailers? Proceed With Caution
Posted By: Christina Cheddar Berk
Are retailers trying to manage expectations for the all-important holiday selling season? Or have expectations gotten a bit ahead of themselves?
For Video Game Makers, Stakes Are High for The Holidays
Posted By: Chris Morris|Special to CNBC.com
The holiday season is traditionally viewed as a time of good cheer and hope, but for many video game publishers, 2009’s will be filled with shot nerves and stress.
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Intimate Apparel Sales Heating Up: Maidenform CEO
Posted By: CNBC.com|CNBC.com
The weather may be getting colder, but sales of intimate apparel are getting hotter, Maidenform CEO Maurice Reznick told CNBC.
“Intimate apparel across almost every channel is doing extremely well. Fortunately for us, we are doing even better in the category. We’re gaining a lot of share,” Reznick said.
Maidenform on Monday reported a quarterly profit that nearly doubling compared with last year. In August, the company raised its guidance for a second time.
Shopping for Answers
Posted By: Jane Wells
It's a beautiful day in New York City, where 200 CEOs in the retail business are gathering after a stormy year. This is not shopping weather — so instead we go shopping for answers.
Consumers Haven't Changed, They Are Just Pickier
Posted By: Christina Cheddar Berk
When consumers shut their wallets tight last year, caught in the vice grip of the financial crisis, many analysts expected that the downturn was so severe that it would make permanent changes in how consumers behaved.
Boomers in Denial About Retirement Savings
Posted By: Christina Cheddar Berk
No doubt last year’s financial crisis dealt a body blow to many investors, but many Boomers approaching retirement have yet to turn their reaction to last year’s events into action.
About Consumer Nation
From the products to the pitches to the people who buy them, we are a Consumer Nation. This blog focuses on all things consumer, taking the pulse of the attitudes that shape purchasing decisions, and providing insights that will help keep marketers, entrepreneurs and investors up-to-date on where trends are heading.
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Christina Cheddar Berk is editor of CNBC.com's Consumer Nation and chief trend spotter.
Retail
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A Bangladesh factory where Wal-Mart Stores and Inditex inspectors spotted cracks is still making Wrangler shirts.
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Baby boomers preparing for retirement are driving a surge in small business sales.
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The clothing brand sold by Britain's biggest retailer Tesco said on Sunday it planned to open more than 50 new franchise stores.