Retailers have dropped a flurry of financial reports. They paint a messy and conflicting picture about our consumer economy.

After years on the brink, Barnes & Noble is going for a plot twist: The book chain is staging its biggest expansion in over a decade.

The biggest culprit was Amazon hefty investment in the electric automaker Rivian, whose value plummeted last year. Amazon also contends with the need to recalibrate after a pandemic-era upsurge.

NPR has been tracking prices at a Walmart in Georgia for four years. The latest shopping trip tells us a lot about what's been happening in world trade and the U.S. economy.

Inside our shopping cart is a story of global trade, extreme weather, shrinking packages and rising prices.

Party City has filed for bankruptcy, but is not going out of business. The purveyor of balloons, costumes and party supplies is hoping this will let it shed its heavy debt.

Department stores like Bed, Bath, and Beyond continue to shut down due to financial loss during the pandemic, but budget stores like Dollar General are popping up everywhere. We take a look at why.

Amazon should recognize its first unionized warehouse in the U.S., a federal labor official ruled.

The struggling retailer says it's exploring all options, including restructuring and filing for bankruptcy relief.

NPR's Alina Selyukh speaks with New Orleans-based singer Judith Owen about her newest album, "Come On & Get It."

NPR's Alina Selyukh talks with PayPal executive Peggy Alford about the surge of post-holiday returns, changes in how we shop, and expectations for next year's consumer spending and the economy.

NPR's Alina Selyukh speaks with Andrew Callaghan about his new HBO film "This Place Rules," a personal look at the conspiracies and events leading up to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.

NPR's Alina Selyukh recaps the year in food and looks ahead to 2023 with New York Times food reporter Kim Severson.

Starbucks stores from coast to coast. An electric vehicle battery plant. The first Amazon warehouse in the U.S. All kinds of workplaces unionized in 2022, but winning elections is only the first step.

Union organizing soared in 2022, but companies pushed back to stop the momentum.

Boy, have we talked a lot about inflation. It affected every part of our lives (and the economy) in 2022. Here are some of its highest highs and lowest lows. (It wasn't all bad news!)

Retail sales declined 0.6% in November compared to October, the biggest decline in almost a year. For once, declining prices seem to be part of the story.

People are paying for blenders, shirts and even groceries in installments. New research suggests this encourages people to overspend.

Buy something now, pay for it later: This idea is changing how we shop. These short-term, interest-free loans could be the biggest trend of this holiday shopping season. But are they safe?

The CEOs of Kroger and Albertsons face Senate lawmakers to publicly address concerns about their planned $25 billion merger that would combine the two largest U.S. supermarket chains.