Latest from The Spokesman-Review

• Last-minute holiday shopping gives lift in finale

  December 28, 2011 in Business, Nation/World The holiday shopping season turned out to be two seasons split by a big lull.

• Shopping’s siren call

  November 26, 2011 in Idaho on Page A1 Kathi Nygaard left her home in Potlatch, Idaho, with a carefully scripted Christmas shopping list: Pots, pans and a Magic Bullet blender for her 20-year-old son, who’s getting ready to …

• Sharp shoppers balancing economy, spirit of season

  December 19, 2010 in City on Page B1 Snowfall and slick roads didn’t slow down many Spokane shoppers who flocked to stores Saturday – the last Saturday before Christmas – to do holiday shopping. Some said they are …

• Local retailers ready to cure shoppers’ ‘frugality fatigue’

  October 31, 2010 in Business, City on Page A1 Penn Fix, president of Dodson’s Jewelers in downtown Spokane, just finished a good week. On Tuesday a customer visited his family-owned jewelry store and left after buying a $14,000 diamond … 16

• December retail sales show signs of life

  January 7, 2010 in Business, Nation/World Last-minute holiday shoppers brought relief to the nation’s retailers, handing them modest sales gains for the season and prompting several chains to raise their fourth-quarter profit outlooks.

• Online retailers rev up deals to keep up momentum

  November 30, 2009 in Business Retail Web sites kept amping up the deals Monday, the first day after the Thanksgiving holiday, to try to maintain the long weekend’s strong online sales.

• Pet owners plan to find purr-fect gift

  November 27, 2009 in Business on Page A10 LOS ANGELES – Dogs across the country can expect some bone-shaped presents under the Christmas tree this year. An Associated Press-Petside.com poll shows 52 percent of pet owners plan to …

• Consumer group warns about toy hazards

  November 24, 2009 in Features, Nation/World Holiday shoppers should look out for toy hazards such as small parts, loud sounds, soft plastics and lead contamination, consumer advocates warned today.

• Stores strategize in light of last year’s difficult holiday season

  November 20, 2009 in City on Page A1 Retailers across the region have just one wish: Whatever else happens, please spare us a winter like last year. Consumers are still in a cautious state of mind, but store … 1

• Weekend craft fairs attract seasonal shoppers

  November 8, 2009 in City on Page B1 Craft shows, the unofficial start of the holiday season, swelled to a crescendo Saturday, leaving tired shoppers recovering across the Inland Northwest. All together, more than 15 arts and crafts …

• The craftier, the merrier

  November 7, 2009 in News Crafts shows, the official start of the holiday season, swelled to a crescendo Saturday, leaving tired shoppers recovering across the Inland Northwest. All together, more than 15 arts and crafts … 2

• Sales slow to a crawl

  December 19, 2008 in City on Page A13 Not even Santa showed up for work Thursday. Most days, the downtown Santa at River Park Square’s Christmas photo station is swarmed by parents and kids. Santa was probably taking …

• Enticing the spenders

  November 27, 2008 in Business on Page A1 Most big retailers count on the fourth quarter to produce the year’s highest sales. But this year’s fourth quarter might be one of the worst in memory, retail representatives say. …

• Enticements to buy

  November 27, 2008 in Business on Page A1 Most big retailers count on the fourth quarter to produce the year’s highest sales. But this year’s fourth quarter might be one of the worst in memory, retail representatives say. …