The holiday season is approaching, and there are reports that department stores, including Kohl’s, Macy’s and Nordstrom are ordering less inventory. After a year of declining sales and foot traffic, these retailers don’t want piles of unsold stock eating into their profits. But are they risking empty shelves and disappointed shoppers? Click the audio player […]

It’s a holiday tradition: every fall, retailers staff up their stores to prepare for the inevitable crush of shoppers. But this year, Macy’s said it’ll be hiring fewer holiday workers — about 80,000 people in total. And more of those workers will be operating out of warehouses, packing online orders, than last year. Could these […]

The private-equity outfit that owns 100-year old luxury retailer Neiman Marcus has hired advisers to shop the company for a sale. Neiman might come with a lot of baggage, including almost $5 billion in debt rated at junk status. In the age of internet retail, is there any appeal in owning a high-end department store […]

Beleaguered retailer Sears is out with a plan to turn its fortunes around, and the company’s stock rose on the news. To most time-worn Sears-watchers, however, it looks a lot like more of the same and not enough to rescue the company.

What do department store earnings reports tell us about the broader economy?

The street-side retailers lost their cultural dominance; now they're losing sales.

Companies like Macy's are developing strategies to compete with online retail.