By PAUL GRIMALDI, The Providence Journal

Under new regs, retailers must better explain no-interest deals

People who have taken advantage of "no interest" or "same as cash" deals to buy big-ticket items such as HDTVs, living-room furniture and appliances may have a harder time finding those deals next year when new federal rules go into effect.

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Merchants find it's not easy selling green

Shoppers were thinking earlier this year about "green" gifts for the holidays, and retailers reacted by stocking their shelves with environmentally friendly products and creating marketing campaigns to bring in eco-friendly buyers.
Then the economy darkened.

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Worried holiday shoppers turn to online shopping

Tech-savvy consumers hunting for Christmas gifts this year are expected to spend more money online than in stores, according to a quarterly report released by a New York-based public-interest group

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Hasbro's new toys encourage good behavior

Toy maker Hasbro Inc. will try to help children learn how to mind their manners with a new line of games.Marketing managers at the Pawtucket, R.I.-based company expect the games will get a good reception from the parents of young children.

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Dunkin' Donuts reveals recipe for expansion

BRISTOL, R.I. -- The coffee chain once considered emblematic of New England is spreading across the nation these days, reaching into every corner of the country for people who share its "blue-collar" soul, according to its chairman.

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How Wal-Mart wields economic power

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The largest retailer in human history shapes the American landscape and experience nearly every minute of every day in some way, through its draw on shoppers, its demands on suppliers, the pressure it exerts on competitors and its push across the country's landscape.

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