College students have money to spend, and stores are going all out. They have wandered into a gold mine,

Certainly the president's tax credit and child tax credit checks helped to boost some consumers' disposable income, ... Also, many consumers are refinancing their homes ... which leads to a greater amount of disposable income, and the rising stock market is good news for investment-oriented consumers.

In the grand scheme of things, we might see growth of 5.6 percent instead of 5.7 percent.

The consumer reaction to higher gas prices has been somewhat puzzling. There is no doubt that high gas prices cut into consumer income, but ... consumers are still spending and retail sales are growing more than expected,

Not many retailers currently give customers the option to claim rebates online. People like it when the rebate process is easy and hassle-free. This sounds like a good idea,

It's important to remember that some people are working today and could decide to shop later or on the weekend,

The number-one aspect of the shopping season this year will be sales and promotions. If retailers can deliver good sales and promotions, consumers will buy.

It seems like this year it hasn't been as much of a challenge for retailers to find good quality holiday help. It seems like this year there are a lot of people out there looking for part-time work as well as full-time jobs. It's a great opportunity for people to make additional income and get their foot in the door.

There were a lot of people out in the stores this past weekend, and from the looks of things, it seems like a lot of people have a lot of shopping left to do. It's going to be a busy next two weeks,

This age group has high disposable income and not many bills. Young adults are growing Halloween into a major holiday.