Consumer Spending

Big Lots Faces Challenges Despite Acquisition
Big Lots Faces Challenges Despite Acquisition
January 03, 2025  |  Retail

Big Lots, a once-dominant player in the discount retail sector, faces an uncertain future following an acquisition by Gordon Brothers Retail Partners. The agreement, finalized...

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UK Retail Store Traffic Declined 2.5% During Holiday Shopping Season
UK Retail Store Traffic Declined 2.5% During Holiday Shopping Season
January 03, 2025  |  Retail

Fewer consumers visited retail stores in the United Kingdom during the holiday shopping season and the entire year of 2024. Compared to the previous year,...

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BNPL Makes Inroads With Luxury Brands as High Earners Pay Over Time
BNPL Makes Inroads With Luxury Brands as High Earners Pay Over Time
January 01, 2025  |  BNPL

The conventional wisdom may be that buy now, pay later (BNPL) options are best suited for lower- to middle-income consumers, for smaller ticket items, and...

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Credit Card Defaults Surge to 14-Year High
Credit Card Defaults Surge to 14-Year High
December 30, 2024  |  Credit Cards

Credit card defaults are at their highest level since 2010 as consumers feel increasingly stretched. As the Financial Times (FT) reported Sunday (Dec. 29), card...

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Retailers Resolve to Even Up Online and In-Store Experiences in 2025
Retailers Resolve to Even Up Online and In-Store Experiences in 2025
December 27, 2024  |  Retail

While holiday spending may have filled merchants’ coffers, the challenge will be to keep consumer momentum going at the registers, particularly at brick-and-mortar stores. The...

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The Year in Amazon vs Walmart, and a Look Into 2025
The Year in Amazon vs Walmart, and a Look Into 2025
December 27, 2024  |  Retail

As 2024 comes to a close, the retail sector remains defined by the intense rivalry between Amazon and Walmart. Over the course of the year,...

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Boxing Day Gives UK Retailers Little Reason to Celebrate
Boxing Day Gives UK Retailers Little Reason to Celebrate
December 26, 2024  |  Retail

Boxing Day appears to be a muted affair for Great Britain’s merchants and shopping centers. Morning footfall on U.K. high streets was down 10.1% compared...

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Retail Returns Have Reportedly Jumped 60% Since 2012
Retail Returns Have Reportedly Jumped 60% Since 2012
December 26, 2024  |  Retail

There’s good news and bad news for online retailers this year. The good is consumers are expected to spend almost $241 billion on eCommerce purchases...

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Mastercard: Holiday Shoppers Chase Value as Online Spending Jumps 6.7%
Mastercard: Holiday Shoppers Chase Value as Online Spending Jumps 6.7%
December 26, 2024  |  eCommerce

This year, the holiday shopping season belonged to digitally savvy consumers. New data from Mastercard showed that while total retail sales from Nov. 1 to...

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