Weak January Dashed Retailersâ Gift-Card Hopes
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High gasoline and food prices, the slumping housing market, tighter credit and tougher job prospects pushed some consumers to the edge.
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Americans shopped tepidly during May, giving retailers modest relief from a dismal showing in April but still raising questions about how strong consumer spending will be in the months ahead.
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WASHINGTON -- Shoppers put aside worries about the slumping economy to go to the malls and auto dealerships in January. That propelled retail sales to a surprising rebound following a dismal December.
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NEW YORK -- With a weak back-to-school season behind them, the nation's retailers are focused on the holidays and what steps they need to take to get consumers excited about shopping again. That could mean some quick merchandise changes and more aggressive discounting than they originally planned.
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Researcher says U.S. shoppers will fork out $13.2 billion online this season, but year-over-year increases are slipping.
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Consumers' mood brightened in early  January, but was still significantly less optimistic than a  year earlier, a report showed on Friday.
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With a weak back-to-school season behind them, US retailers are focused on the holidays and what steps they need to take to get consumers excited about shopping again.
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Shoppers &#151; some holding out for the best bargains, others delayed by winter storms in the Midwest &#151; hit the nation's malls and stores, looking for last-minute gifts and snapping up gift cards on Friday, the day before Christmas.
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Consumers' mood brightened in early January, but was still significantly less optimistic than a year earlier, a report showed on Friday.
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Just as surely as shoppers unwrap their presents, they will return or exchange a gift they couldn&#39;t wear or tolerate. The never-enjoyable experience has become less jolly this holiday season because retailers
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nation&#39;s malls and stores, looking for last-minute gifts and snapping up gift cards on Friday, the day before Christmas. Retailers, struggling with disappointing holiday sales throughout the season, were heartened
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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.
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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.
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After frustrating the nation's retailers throughout the holiday shopping season by waiting until the last minute to buy gifts, consumers are not expected to give merchants much relief in 2005.
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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.
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Customers will have to wait to use its gift cards.
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The nation's retailers, once hopeful for a strong spring selling season, are being forced to ratchet down their expectations after sales stalled amid the chill of February.