...the perfect group gift," said Pam Goodfellow, the director of BIGinsight, which conducted the survey for the National Retail Federation.The survey showed that many consumers will continue to buy traditional gifts such as flowers, but that...

...blended commercial and residential space, said Daniel Butler, the vice president of retail operations for the National Retail Federation.Though not locally, major retailers such as Target, Kohl's and Gap have rolled out smaller design concepts...

...visited stores and shopping Web sites over the four-day Thanksgiving weekend, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation.Still, if lawmakers and the Obama administration fail to reach a budget deal soon, the threat of tax increases...

...are already signs that consumer optimism is leading to more spending. A record number of Americans visited stores and shopping websites over the four-day Thanksgiving weekend, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation.

...1. "I always hit the dollar store every holiday to see what stuff they have," she said.According to the National Retail Federation, more than 65 percent of shoppers will shop discount stores this holiday season. That's about the same as...

...Shopping picked up in the second half of November. But "fiscal cliff" worries dampened sales in December.The National Retail Federation, the nation's largest retail trade group, remains optimistic that sales won't be quite as bad as earlier...

...like they have been in the past two years.The National Retail Federation, the nation's largest retail trade group...said Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the National Retail Federation, based in Washington, D.C. "There are...

...internet retailers.Rival UPS, which is based in Atlanta, hasn't yet released its holiday forecast.The National Retail Federation expects holiday sales to increase 4.1 percent. That would be the smallest increase since 2009, when sales...

...on Halloween business.The nation is expected to spend $8 billion on Halloween this year, according to the National Retail Federation. The average person will spend $79.82 on decorations, costumes and candy, up $7.51 from 2011.At...

...of our members rely heavily on holiday loans to pay for their purchases."A separate survey conducted by the National Retail Federation shows that the average per-person spending nationally this holiday season will be $750, up $10 from last...