Retailers hope gift cards will boost sales goals
98889
The holiday shopping season ended better than it started and most retailers are on track to meet humble sales goals, though many still hope for an extra boost the week after Christmas as consumers cash in gift cards.
525353
With the 2007 run-up to Christmas boosted by a last-minute sales surge, retailers are putting an extra emphasis on after-Christmas discounts, hoping bargain shoppers and gift-card splurgers can enrich stores' holidays.
671870
The success of gift cards has extended the holiday shopping season -- but there's a hitch for retailers.
432954
Fueled by Web searches for iPods, Elmos, gift cards and video game consoles, online retailers are expecting sales to increase by about 20 percent this year.
203091
Don't write off the 2007 holiday shopping season just yet. Consumers are set to cash in $60 billion worth of gift cards in the next seven days, experts say.
188445
With a weak back-to-school season behind them, the nation&#39;s retailers are focused on the holidays and what steps they need to take to get consumers excited about shopping again.
674173
Ad campaigns for the holiday season from retailers like Best Buy and Target aim to forge emotional bonds with consumers.
133425
Forget frozen turkeys or ham, many  U.S. workers this year can expect to receive a retailer's gift  certificate as their holiday bonus.
697472
Retailers &#151; eager to piggyback off the increasing popularity of gift cards during the holiday season &#151; are giving the old-fashioned gift card another makeover with new gimmicks.
288045
A burst of shopping in the waning hours before Christmas helped the nationâs retailers meet their modest sales goals.
280900
Shoppers across America have millions of gift cards tucked away in envelopes, drawers and wallets. And some of the nation's largest retailers are profiting as a result.
546873
U.S. chain store sales rose in the second week of January, as gift-card redemption continued to drive sales, a report said on Wednesday.
753390
Post-holiday clearance sales and gift-card redemptions boosted January sales at major U.S. retailers, but the harsh winter weather that hit the Northeast and Midwest late in the month capped consumers' spending.
240054
Running out of ideas for presents,  Renee Bettinger started buying gift cards two years ago. This  holiday season, the cards will account for half of the 20 gifts  she expects to buy.
569191
U.S. retail consumers could begin to see great deals on PC  purchases as the market gets more competitive.
766706
America's shoppers still have some buying spirit, pushing sales at the nation's retailers higher in November and raising hopes for the holiday season.
456449
Gift cards are hot items this holiday season -- both at stores and in the courts.