While the state of the economy is having a negative effect on most areas of the retail sector, more than a few industries are experiencing an uptick. Time examines recent trends in consumer spending, discovering that products and services that fulfill needs like escapism, inexpensive luxury and stress relief are reaping the most benefits.
Though it’s not exactly clear what methodology the magazine used to draw their conclusions, it’s interesting to note the contrast between purchases that reflect a desire for personal improvement – yoga classes, gardening supplies and mobile devices – versus those that seem to be indicative of temporary [...]

US News and World Report examines some of the contributing factors that have lead to a general decline in many of America’s malls, once the stalwarts of suburban prosperity and convenience. One interesting note from the article is the underlying (and accepted) notion that malls have “natural lifespans,” owing to changes in consumer habits, architecture and population.
A fact that assumes developers are intentionally constructing these shopping centers with a level of obsolescence in mind, knowing full well that when these old spaces eventually shut down, they’ll simply build elsewhere. Some estimates predict that as many ten percent of these complexes could close [...]

Want to know what shoes people are buying in Montpelier, Vermont? Then just watch the realtime map on the Zappos website long enough and you just might find out. With this new feature, the popular online retailer is giving consumers even more reason to keep up with the Joneses, as users are granted the ability to zero in on their home towns and wait to see what items pop up. Currently, monitoring a specific location requires a bit too much active participation to be a worthwhile endeavor – the map continuously scrolls as new orders are being placed – but [...]