SmallBusinessNewz

Credit Card Study Identifies Potential Security Issues

Small business owners who are in a position to deal with customers' credit cards may need to rethink a thing or two about their security practices, judging from the results of a new study.  First Data and the National Retail Federation found that many owners aren't up to date on all legal requirements and potential penalties.

The Impact of Mobile on the Holidays

Although consumers are embracing mobile at a rapid rate, most businesses are not jumping on the bandwagon as quickly. A recent report from eCommerce Know-How actually showed that 58 percent of companies are not utilizing mobile marketing or mobile commerce. Is this number surprising to you?

NRF Forecasts 138M People Will Shop Black Friday Weekend

Small business owners who own brick-and-mortar shops and don't choose to close up in the face of potentially out-of-control mobs should see more shoppers this Black Friday weekend than last.  The National Retail Federation determined that 138 million consumers are interested in heading out, which represents a slight increase compared to 2009.

Halloween Spending Expected To Take Off

As children go running from house to house this Halloween, it looks like they'll be wearing fancier costumes and receiving better candy compared to 2009.  The National Retail Federation predicted that Halloween spending will be up 17.7 percent on a year-over-year basis.

Back-To-School Shoppers May Be Ahead Of Schedule

At the University of Kentucky, today is move-in day for students who will live on campus this semester, and it's a good bet that every business within five blocks is packed with kids and parents.  But for better or for worse, a study's indicated that most people have completed a little more of their shopping this year compared to last.

Retail Industry Sales Rise In July

Retail sales were on the rise in July in at least one sense, according to the latest report from the National Retail Federation.  The NRF recorded an increase of either 3.1 percent or 5.4 percent on a year-over-year basis, depending on which dataset you prefer.

Higher Back-To-School Sales Predicted

Whether or not children are still forced to endure old "uphill in the snow both ways" stories, parents are giving in and buying them more stuff for the new school year, according to the National Retail Federation.  Sales are supposed to be up by quite a lot, in fact.

Retail Sales Numbers Mixed In June

Consumers aren't exactly emptying out their savings accounts, but spending trends might still be headed in a direction that'll benefit small businesses, according to the latest info from the National Retail Federation.  The NRF found that June retail sales were up 3.3 percent on a year-over-year basis.

NRF Predicts Tolerable 4th Of July Spending

It's time for sales of fireworks and hotdogs - and/or earplugs and trash bags - to take off again.  The National Retail Federation found that lots of people intend to celebrate the 4th of July, but not everyone will be out waving a flag or staring at the sky.

Retail Spending Found To Dip In May

May was a little bit of a slow month for retailers, according to new data from the National Retail Federation.  Not a disastrous one, thankfully - just not as profitable as previous trends might have led everyone to hope it would be.