Consumer Groups: Holiday Spending to Rise
244503
A rosier economic outlook will boost US holiday spending by up to 5 percent this year despite a firm resolution by many consumers to spend less, a consumer group said on Monday.
725264
Consumers are a bit more inclined to cut back on holiday spending than in recent years, concerned about energy costs and credit card debt.
725059
Online merchants are poised to record a much bigger rise in holiday sales than their offline counterparts. Broadband expansion, more luxury gift sales and a rise in late shoppers help the bottom line. By Joanna Glasner.
697192
Spending by Americans shopping online during this year's holiday season rose 24 percent to $8.8 billion, with sharp gains in purchases of clothing and entertainment, Web company VeriSign Inc. said on Thursday.
696428
More online shoppers are happy with their Web-buying experiences this year, according to Foresee Results --  and holiday spending on the Web is up 19% over 2006 levels.
321515
Online shoppers in the United States spent &#36;23.2 billion during the holidays, excluding travel, up 25 percent from the 2003 season, according to a new survey from Goldman, Sachs & Co., Harris Interactive and Nielsen/NetRatings.
451782
With industry captains still hesitant to invest heavily, are consumers going to keep the recovery healthy through the holiday season and beyond?
671477
By Pat Kimbrough, High Point Enterprise, N.C.  Dec. 9--HIGH POINT -- It isn't just retailers that benefit from the  consumer spending bonanza during the holiday season.
53281
Consumers worried about job prospects. Raises questions about whether Americans will be in spending mood during holidays. Worries about job prospects sent consumer confidence in the United States to a seven
438446
NEW YORK -- Holiday sales are expected to rise 5 percent this year, less than the 6.1 percent in the year-ago period, as consumers face still high energy costs, rising interest rates and a cooling housing market, the National Retail Federation said .
181241
U.S. consumer Web spending rose 30 percent on the Monday after Thanksgiving, which is traditionally seen as the start of the online holiday shopping season, comScore Networks said on Wednesday.
516290
A report from market research firm comScore pegs the amount of&#160;online spending this holiday season&#160;at nearly $28 billion, a 19 percent gain over the same period last year.ComScore measured the holiday season spending from November 1 to December 27 -- a 57-day period. But it wasn&#39;t just the days leading up to Christmas that drew shoppers to the online marketplace, the company said.&quot;Even as the holiday shopping season winds down after Christmas, we continue to see some relatively strong online spending days,&quot; said comScore Chairman Gian Fulgoni.ComScore said they saw sales of $545 million the day after Christmas. That represents more than double the sales for the same day last year. &quot;This would appear to indicate that consumers were willing, and able, to take advantage of the attractive late-season promotions and price discounts offered by retailers this year,&quot; said Fulgoni.ComScore expects the spending spree to continue. In its forecast the company expects spending for the November to December shopping season to reach $29. 5 billion, a 20 percent increase over the same period last year.Macworld.com is an InfoWorld affiliate.
767462
U.S. incomes and spending rose in  October, providing the means for consumers to keep spending as  the holiday shopping season approached, while core consumer  prices rose modestly, the government reported on Thursday.
111324
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 this week as consumers cash in gift cards.
656219
Consumers shrugged off rising energy costs and kept spending in October, boosting retail sales and supporting forecasts of a solid holiday season ahead for retailers.
686827
Retailers benefited from a last-minute holiday shopping spree, putting them on track to meet modest seasonal sales goals, two groups that track consumer spending reported Tuesday.
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.