Many U.S. consumers say they’ve noticed higher than usual prices for holiday gifts in recent months, according to a a December poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Consumer Reports says many popular tech gifts from smartwatches to smart-home devices offer basic features for free but may keep their most useful tools behind paid plans. That’s why it’s worth considering if you’re you giving them a cool gift that’ll cost them later, and are you willing to cover those subscription fees, and if so for how long?

Black Friday may no longer be the retail bacchanalia of years past, but the event still has enough enthusiasts to make it the biggest single shopping day in the U.S.

U.S. consumers were much less confident in the economy in November in the aftermath of the government shutdown and amid weak hiring and stubborn inflation.

Best Buy is raising its profit and sales expectations ahead of the holiday shopping season after a strong third quarter.

Consumer confidence weakened slightly in October as Americans remain anxious about their future financial prospects.

Best Buy posted a solid second quarter that exceeded Wall Street expectations, but the performances was overshadowed by an outlook that has grown cloudy due to tariffs the U.S. is imposing on trading partners.

Best Buy cut its annual outlook for profits and sales after reported a profit decline and stagnating sales for its fiscal first quarter as the nation’s largest consumer electronics retailer wrestles with shoppers’ worries about the economy and tariffs.

U.S. preorders for the Nintendo Switch 2 kicked off shortly after the clock struck midnight Thursday.

Sony says it will raise prices starting Monday for some PlayStation 5 video game consoles in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, citing global economic turmoil.

Best Buy, the nation’s largest consumer electronics chain, reported another quarterly drop in sales as Americans continued to tighten their purse strings on appliances and gadgets to focus on essentials.

For some television viewers, size apparently does matter.

Consumer Reports reveals products at deep discounts to help kickstart the holiday shopping season.

Amazon is challenging the structure of the National Labor Relations Board in a lawsuit that also accuses the agency of improperly influencing the outcome of a union election at a company warehouse more than two years ago.

Best Buy, the nation’s largest consumer electronics chain, reported another quarterly drop in sales due to Americans pulling back on purchases of appliances and consumer-electronics gadgets to focus on essentials.

Asian shares are higher as investors shrug off yet another decline on Wall Street.

The earnings results from Best Buy and Kohl’s, announced Thursday, offer the latest evidence of consumers’ cautious spending amid a challenging economic environment.

Best Buy’s shares rose on Thursday as the nation’s largest consumer electronics chain posted a smaller-than-expected sales decline for the fiscal fourth quarter, signaling that the bottom of spending for gadgets may be in sight.

The New Year is almost upon us.

Economists said shoppers are more cautious because of inflation, higher interest rates and student loan repayments.

Retailers are kicking off the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season on Friday with a bevy of discounts and other enticements.

Shares are mostly lower in Asia after Wall Street’s rally ran out of momentum.

Best Buy is recalling nearly 1 million pressure cookers and separate inner pots due to a defect that can cause hot foods to spew out, posing burn hazards.

Best Buy is saying goodbye to movie-watching with physical discs.

As inflation on necessities like groceries remains stubbornly high, the well-heeled consumer appears to still be spending, while the lower-income shopper continues to cut back their purchases, according to the latest batch of earnings reports.

The Better Business Bureau's Scam Tracker has received reports from people -- and small businesses -- about notices claiming to be from Best Buy's Geek Squad or PayPal.

The latest earnings reports from Macy’s and Best Buy show that consumers are still cutting back their spending on clothing and gadgets as inflationary pressures on everything from food to gas are straining household budgets.

A measure of inflation closely watched by the Federal Reserve slowed last month, another sign that a long surge in consumer prices seems to be easing.

The pace of sales at U.S. retailers was unchanged in September from August as rising prices for rent and food chipped away at money available for other things.

Consumer Reports says you shouldn’t miss out on some big sales this month as retailers get an earlier start than ever for the holiday shopping season.

Best Buy posted declines in fiscal second-quarter profits and sales as the nation’s largest consumer electronics chain struggled with weakening consumer demand for gadgets and high costs that rippled through its supply chain.

Best Buy, the nation’s largest consumer electronics chain, is trimming jobs in an effort to adjust to new changes in consumer behavior as the virus wanes.

Best Buy has cut its annual sales and profit forecast, citing surging inflation that has dampened consumer spending on gadgets.

Best Buy has recalled thousands of air fryers and air fryer ovens due to fire and burn hazards, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

U.S. consumer confidence bounced back in March and remains high, though consumers’ short-term outlook is not quite as rosy.

Best Buy reported a shortfall in sales for the holiday quarter as the nation’s largest electronics chain struggled with limited supplies of holiday products and was forced to reduce store hours because of a shortage of workers due to omicron.

Consumer Reports found deals this month on products that will help you reach your goals.

U.S. consumer prices rose 5.7% over the past year, the fastest pace in 39 years as a surge in inflation battered Americans as the holiday shopping season was getting under way.

Consumer Reports says whether it’s major holiday gifts like pricey tech and home goods, or more affordable stocking stuffers, December is one of the best times to find a sale on almost anything.

We somehow made it to August, which means it’s back-to-school time for students and teachers everywhere.

Retail sales fell in May, dragged down by a decline in auto sales and a shift by Americans to spend more on vacations and other services instead of goods.

The company said it cut the jobs because more shoppers are choosing to buy online instead of coming inside its stores. Best Buy said it will replace the 5,000 full-time employees with 2,000 part-time workers. A group of workers has posted an online petition calling for Best Buy to compensate employees for lost wages related to cuts. About 792 of the nearly 4,000 signatures were from Best Buy workers, said Shannon Fulfs, the petition organizer who works at a Best Buy in the Omaha, Nebraska area. Best Buy shares fell nearly 6% to $107.05 in morning trading Thursday.

(AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)NEW YORK – The pandemic is turning this into a holiday shopping season like no other. And with more people shopping online, stores are doing double duty as shipping centers to try to get gifts to doorsteps as fast as possible. Meanwhile, Best Buy says that 340 of its stores are being specially designated to handle a higher volume of online orders, though all its stores ship e-commerce packages. Its goal: to have the 340 stores ship more than 70% of its ship-from-store units during the holiday quarter. Typically, 25% of holiday shopping is based on impulse, according to Marshal Cohen, chief industry advisor at NPD Group, a market research firm.

NEW YORK – Retail sales in the U.S. grew a sluggish 0.3% in October, even as retailers offered early holiday discounts online and in stores. Economists had expected sales to rise 0.5%, already a significant tail off from September's gain of 1.6%. Sales rose at home and garden stores, electronics and appliance stores, and online retailers. Nationwide, spending fell to 7.4% below a year ago, JPMorgan said, a drop of about 2.5 percentage points from two weeks earlier. Yet at clothing stores and sporting good shops, sales fell more than 4%.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s being called shipmageddon: retailers and shipping companies are getting bombarded with online orders. So if you’re hoping your packages will arrive on or before Christmas Day, these companies are saying you’ll want to get an early start on any holiday shopping you’re planning to do. So major retailers such as Best Buy, Target and Walmart are rolling out holiday deals early. RELATED: Experts recommend doing your holiday shopping early this yearBut it’s worth mentioning that they’re all warning there is no guarantee your shipment will arrive on time. So, a word of advice: if you’ve got holiday shopping to do, it’s probably best to start now.

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)NEW YORK – Add last-minute holiday shopping to the list of time-honored traditions being upended by the coronavirus pandemic. Black Friday has long been the unofficial start to the U.S. holiday season, though retailers have been pushing holiday shopping earlier for the last decade or so. The first big holiday push will come from Amazon, which is positioning its mid-October Prime Day as a kickoff to the holiday shopping season. Even with the early start to the season, holiday sales are expected to deliver smaller gains than in recent years. Joel Bines, who runs the retail practice at AlixPartners, thinks the earlier shopping will stick even when the pandemic is over.

But two standouts in CRs laptop ratingsthe Lenovo IdeaPad S340 and Asus Chromebook Flipare hard to find. He and others point to a number of reasons for the Great Laptop Shortage of 2020. Whether its a Switch, an Xbox, a TV, or a laptop, everybody is trying to catch up, Reith says. The last thing you want is to miss out on a bargain because you didnt sign in at Best Buy fast enough. Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart have similar programs, too.

Kohls on Wednesday became the latest retailer to announce its stores would be closed on Thanksgiving Day due to the coronavirus pandemic. The company posted the announcement on its website, along with a statement from CEO Michelle Gass, who attributed the decision to shifting customer habits. The holiday season is when Kohls shines brightest, and as we move into the holiday season of this very unusual year, we are adapting our plans in response to changing customer expectations and behaviors, Gass said. We are deeply appreciative of how our team of Kohls associates have shown up to serve our customers through this pandemic and know that they will continue to show Kohls at our best throughout the holidays.Kohls joins Best Buy, Target and Walmart, among other retailers, which previously said their stores would not open on the holiday that has become a major shopping day over the years.

Best Buy is joining the growing list of major retailers closing stores on Thanksgiving Day in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The electronics giant announced the closures in a post on the companys blog Tuesday, saying the retailer is planning add more pickup options for customers and offer deals earlier this year. RELATED: Target closing its stores on Thanksgiving Day | Walmart closing its stores for ThanksgivingWe can all agree that, so far, 2020 has turned out differently than what we might have expected, the blog post said. And now the holiday season at Best Buy, including Thanksgiving Day, is going to look different too.Already, Walmart and Target announced their stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. In lieu of in-store shopping, BestBuy is pushing consumers to shop online via its website or app.

Businesses reopening across states after months of shutdown have been met with fanfare. Its not the reopening businesses were hoping for. Apple, which started reopening its stores May 11, has closed at least 32 stores in hot spots like Florida and Texas. Some businesses have been requiring customers and employees to sign a waiver saying they wont sue if they get sick. Adam Orman, who runs LOca dOro Italian restaurant in Austin, Texas, may delay a planned July 30 reopening for outdoor seating.

NEW YORK Late last year, Best Buy began testing curbside pickup at select stores as a way to respond to customer needs. Macys sales were down 45% and the company says it could have a loss of at least $1 billion in the quarter. Still, it shows how the pandemic is deepening the divide between big box stores and mall-based clothing chains. Target's CEO Brian Cornell said its stores were directly involved in supplying goods for 80% of online sales. It expects another 80 Macys stores to open for Memorial Day weekend and most of its stores, including its flagship stores in Manhattan, to open in mid-June.

Getty Images via CNN(CNN) - Walmart, Target and Best Buy this week rolled out plans to woo shoppers during the holidays, focusing on early deals, speedier deliveries and beefed-up service in stores. "This year is a bit unique for our customers," Steve Bratspies, Walmart chief merchandising officer, said on a call with reporters. Walmart has started to offer free next-day delivery on orders over $35 for more than 200,000 items. Best Buy said Tuesday that it would offer next-day delivery on thousands of smaller items such as tablets and headphones. The National Retail Federation estimates retail sales in November and December will grow between 3.8% and 4.2% compared with a year ago.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The first Sprouts Farmers Market in Jacksonville opened Wednesday. The grocery store offering organic foods is at the old Best Buy location on Town Center Parkway in the Markets at Town Center, near the St. Johns Town Center. "We're a full-service grocery store, but we really advocate for healthy living for less. PHOTOS: Take a look at the new Sprouts Farmers MarketShoppers told News4Jax during Wednesday's grand opening that Jacksonville's Southside needed a store like this. "And so St. John's Town Center area has been missing this type of store, so, yes, we're very excited and I will be supporting it for sure."

The grocery store offering organic foods is at the old Best Buy location on Town Center Parkway in the Markets at Town Center, near the St. Johns Town Center. Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.