By Jennifer Waters    A DOW JONES COLUMN From a promotion point of view, this could turn out to be the longest holiday-shopping season on the books, giving consumers a host of deals from which to choose right up until Christmas. Though retailers’ shelves are better stocked now than they were last year, it is […]

Consumer and government spending gave a larger-than-expected boost to the economy during the third quarter, with the gross domestic product increasing at the fastest rate in almost four years, according to the Commerce Department. The U.S. GDP — a measure of all goods and services — improved at a revised annualized rate of 2.5 percent, […]

Economist: Retail sales are poised to drive recovery – Related Stories – ICSC SmartBrief. Can’t wait for the housing market.