WASHINGTON — U.S. consumers stepped up their spending on retail goods in September, a hopeful sign for the sluggish economy. They spent more on autos, clothing and furniture last month to boost retail sales 1.1 percent, the Commerce Department said ...

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Power ties are red. Dress shirts are white. Suits are black or blue or grey. So what’s a corporate executive to do on Purple Fridays? The Baltimore Ravens and Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. have teamed up to help, signing ...

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WASHINGTON — Consumers paid more for a range of goods and services last month, and unemployment benefit applications jumped last week to the highest level in three months. The latest data offered a picture of an economy facing inflationary pressures ...

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WASHINGTON — Consumers spent less on autos, clothing and furniture to leave retail sales unchanged in August. The lack of growth suggests households became more cautious during wild stock market fluctuations and increased fears about the economy. The Commerce Department ...

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NEW YORK — Consumers’ confidence in August dropped almost 15 points to the lowest level since April 2009 as worries about the economy fueled the wildest stock market swings since the financial meltdown in 2008. At a time when Americans ...

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ROCKVILLE — A Maryland man has been charged with inappropriately touching a 7-year-old girl who was shopping with her family. Montgomery County police say they’ve arrested 45-year-old Mario Amaro. The Rockville man is charged with two counts each of third- ...

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WASHINGTON — Consumers spent more on autos, furniture, clothing and gas in July, pushing up retail sales by the largest amount in four months. The gain signaled that Americans are a little more confident in the economy and could helped dispel ...

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ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — It could have picked London or Hong Kong. Instead, the lingerie retailer that styles itself “the original sex symbol” chose the buttoned-down sheikdom of Abu Dhabi for the launch of its first international store. ...

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NEW YORK — Shoppers are showing signs of pulling back on spending on discretionary items like clothing and home goods as gasoline and groceries eat up more of their paychecks. Those pressures led many retailers on Thursday to report only ...

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WASHINGTON — Consumers spent more on gasoline, clothing and autos in April, pushing retail sales up for a 10th straight month. But much of the gain came from a surge in gasoline and food prices. Retail sales rose 0.5 percent ...

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