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CHICAGO — Men shop, too, SymphonyIRI Group asserted in the release of its latest demographic shopper study titled “Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus … Or Maybe Not?” on Monday.

NEW YORK — In the wake of the tornadoes and flooding that struck many southeastern states, several leading chains have stepped up to offer support for communities impacted by the tragedy, including CVS, Rite Aid, Walmart, <a target="_blank" href="http://drugs

NEW YORK — Consumer confidence recovered somewhat in April, though the impact of rising gasoline prices still is evident, according to data released Tuesday by the Conference Board.

The confidence index hit 65.4 in April, from an upwardly revised 63.8 in March. The reading still is below the 72.0 mark of February.

Many analysts have voiced concern that despite numerous indications of a slow, but healthy, economic recovery in the United States, growth in the number of jobs has lagged, even as it has exceeded economists’ expectations.


But another indicator that the economy is picking up speed is U.S. sales growth at Costco Wholesale, the members-only mass merchandiser based in Issaquah, Wash. For fiscal 2010, sales at the company’s 424 U.S. stores — which the company officially calls warehouses — were $59.6 billion, compared with $56.5 billion in 2009.


NEW YORK — A survey released Tuesday by Deloitte found that consumer purchasing power was negatively impacted during the month of March.

The Deloitte Consumer Spending Index tumbled to 3.62% from nearly 4.1% in the prior month. Deloitte’s chief economist and author of the monthly index, Carl Steidtmann, said that despite the economic recovery, consumers don't have the motivation to spend.

WASHINGTON — U.S. retail sales edged up slightly from last month to $389.3 billion, an increase of 0.4%, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Wednesday.

The increase marks the ninth consecutive month sales have risen, which could indicate that an economic recovery is under way; however, many fear that looming gas and food prices could impact future months.

YONKERS, N.Y. — More than three-quarters of women regard themselves as bargain hunters, a new national poll featured in the May issue of ShopSmart magazine found.

NEW YORK — Target once again has taken the top spot as the retailer with the strongest consumer brand equity, according to the latest Harris poll.

This marked the second consecutive year Target has led the way in the "value retail" category, with an increasing gap noted between the company and runner-up Walmart, according to the "2011 Harris Poll EquiTrend" study. Target led the way with a ranking of 74.1, while Walmart had a ranking of 70.8. The industry average in the value retail category was 67.3.