Consumers

Many Retailers See Modest Crowds, Cautious Shoppers On Black Friday

The Boston Globe | Nicole C. Wong and Jenn Abelson | Posted 12.30.2008 | Business

Read More: Retailers, Black Friday Shopping, Holiday Shopping, Shopping, Black Friday, Consumers, US Economy, Business News

Stores across the region opened their doors before dawn yesterday with mixed results: Deals on electronics apparently drew avid shoppers, especially a...

Read Whole Story

Food Prices Expected To Keep Rising

New York Times | Andrew Martin | Posted 12.27.2008 | Business

Read More: Food, Consumers, US Economy, Food Prices, Food Politics, Business News

For more than a year, food manufacturers have been shaving package sizes and raising prices, declaring that they had little choice because of unpreced...

Read Whole Story

Five Mistakes by DC and Detroit Hurt Detroit Three's Survival Shances

Steve Parker | Posted 12.18.2008 | Business

Read More: Russia, Congress, US Auto Industry, Chrysler, Car Dealerships, The Huffington Post, Fuel-Efficient Cars, Honda, Dodge Viper, Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Future of General Motors, Mike Pence, Ford, St. Petersburg, Automakers, Auto Bailout, Obama Auto Industry, Los Angeles Auto Show, Green Cars, Southern California, General Motors, Hybrid Cars, US Senate, Los Angeles Auto Show Green, Electric Cars, Congressional Oversight, Detroit, Greensburg Indiana, Nissan Motors, Detroit Auto Industry, Fuel Economy, Bankruptcy, Gm, Environmentalists, Detroit Three, Jeep Commander. Hemi Hybrids, Washington DC, American Honda, Daewoo, Honda Fit, Continuously Variable Transmission, Barack Obama, American Auto Industry, Las Vegas, Auto Industry Rescue Legislation, Chevrolet Cruze, Chevrolet Volt, Dodge, XTRONIC CVT, South Korea, Kirk Kerkorian, Harry Reid, Consumers, Jeep, Auto Industry Bailout, Europe, Auto Industry, Golden Parachutes, Lordstown, Detroit Automakers, Reid Auto Bailout, Automaker Bailout, Automobiles, Business News
Steve Parker

Sen. Reid's new bailout bill for the Detroit Three does not set additional fuel-economy requirements, nor does it establish a government oversight board. That's two strikes against getting our money's worth.

Read Post

Consumer cut in spending the most since 1980

AP | JEANNINE AVERSA | Posted 11.30.2008 | Business

Read More: Consumer Spending, Consumer Spending Cut, US Economy, Consumers, Business News

WASHINGTON — Scared and out of money, Americans stopped buying everything from cars to corn flakes in the July-September quarter, ratcheting bac...

Read Whole Story

Causes of the Collapse

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach | Posted 11.28.2008 | Living

Read More: Greed, Eve, Barack Obama Grandmother, America Religion, Money, Economy, Eden, Adam, Retirement Plans, Bereishis, Family Values, Barack Obama, Religion, Cnn, Culprits of Collapse, Economic Collapse, Financial Meltdown, American Family, Financial Crisis, Consumers, Torah, Obama Jewish Voters, Living News
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach

Sadly, religion in America seems incapable of rising to the challenge of giving people inner contentment and pulling them away from insatiable materialism.

Read Post

Conflicted Consumers

Andrew Winston | Posted 07.09.2008 | Business

Read More: Conflicted Consumers, Consumers, Ethical Reputation Index, Conscious Consumers, Bbmg, Business News
Andrew Winston

One survey showed that 35% of all Americans have avoided a product because of a company's practices. People may not pay more for green products, but they may punish unethical companies.

Read Post

What's a Little Marketing Between Friends? Two Years Hard Time

Lucas Conley | Posted 05.30.2008 | Business

Read More: Procter and Gamble, John Mackey, Steve Grover, Advertisers, NASCAR., Word-of-Mouth, Pr, Madison Ave, Marketers, Web 2.0, Marketing, Advertising, Flog, Public Relations, Consumers, Customers, Astroturf, Tremor, Wom, Vocalpoint, Business News
Lucas Conley

As lawmakers in the UK have figured out, when marketers mingle among consumers, the results are often more artifice than advertising.

Read Post

Job Killers -- Or Just More Fear?

Dave Johnson | Posted 05.28.2008 | Business

Read More: Jobs, Corporations, Lobbyists, Budget, California, Economy, Regulation, Consumers, Chamber of Commerce, Recession, Business News
Dave Johnson

The California Chamber of Commerce has released its annual list of what it calls "job-killer bills." Why is it that the hit-list seems to only target Democrats?

Read Post

Gold Hits Record $1,000 an Ounce

AP | MAE ANDERSON and LAUREN SHEPHERD | Posted 03.28.2008 | Business

Read More: Gold Prices, Gold $1000 an Ounce, Gold, Jewelry, Consumers, Gold New Record, 18-Karat Gold, Jewelry Prices, Business News

NEW YORK — Bargain-hunting at the local jewelry store just got harder. Gold, which has soared to record levels in the past year, hit a new mile...

Read Whole Story

Sales, Dollar Plunge; Oil Soars

AP | MARTIN CRUTSINGER | Posted 03.28.2008 | Business

Read More: U.S. Retail Sales, Consumerism, Weak Sales, Retail, Retail Sales, Shopping, Weak Dollar, Recession Fears, U.S. Consumers, Commerce Department, Recession, Credit Crunch, Consumers, Mall Sales, Malls, Business News

WASHINGTON — Oil hit a record high, the dollar sank again, and consumers stopped buying pretty much everything. Stocks kept gyrating, too, on T...

Read Whole Story

Frugal Consumers Swap Steak For Chicken

Reuters | Posted 03.28.2008 | Business

Read More: U.S. Economy, Trading Down, Economic Downturn, Shopping, Inflation, Recession, Credit Crunch, Rising Inflation, Stagflation, Consumers, Consumer Spending, Shoppers, Housing Slump, Business News

At U.S. warehouse club stores, a growing number of shoppers are giving up steak for cheaper chicken. Coffee sales are soaring at McDonald's, while hig...

Read Whole Story

Investors Still Skeptical About Credit Rescue Plans

Reuters | Posted 03.28.2008 | Business

Read More: Interest Rates, Inflation, Employment, Bernanke, Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, Consumers, Citigroup, Business News

Rescue plans are creeping up everywhere for a hobbled U.S. financial system, though investor reaction suggests none sufficiently addresses the underly...

Read Whole Story

US Trade Gap Widens In October To $57.8 Billion

Reuters Via CNBC | Posted 03.28.2008 | Business

Read More: US Economy, Interest Rates, Inflation, Employment, Trade Deficits, Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, Federal Budget, Consumers, Economy, Business News

The U.S. trade deficit widened slightly more than expected in October, as a record high price for imported oil over-powered the export-spurring benefi...

Read Whole Story

Long-Feared Consumer Crunch Is Coming

BusinessWeek Via MSNBC | Michael Mandel | Posted 03.28.2008 | Business

Read More: Downturns, Consumer Crunch, Recessions, Shopping, Credit Crunch, Consumers, Business News

The long-awaited, long-feared consumer crunch may finally be here. That might not mean an economywide recession, but the pain for American households ...

Read Whole Story