Louise Zais of Mesa buys chocolate bunnies and greeting cards for friends and fills baskets full of jelly beans, gum and marshmallow eggs for the employees at her doctor’s office, bank and library.

Harold Liskey of Mesa figures he’ll spend about $200 on his Halloween costume, decorations for his home and candy for the neighborhood kids.

A new report Tuesday by state tax officials shows that Arizona consumers appear to be holding back on the pace of their spending.

WASHINGTON – Holiday spending is expected to increase by 3.5 to 4 percent this year, as a rising number of consumers plan to spend more and fewer expect to pull back, according to a new national survey.

The stock market is volatile. And surveys show consumer confidence is weak.

Americans will spend an estimated $435.3 billion this year on holiday gifts, decorations, parties and party wear — 5 percent more than they spent in 2004.

So now that everybody has added up the numbers, how did stores do on Thanksgiving weekend — the traditional start for the holiday spending season?

It’s the most wonderful time of the year . . . for retailers. A new survey by the National Retail Federation predicts a 7.2 increase in the amount of money consumers plan to spend for the holidays.

Lee and Dana Ulyate of Scottsdale bought a pumpkinprint blanket for their silky terrier Baxter on Tuesday.

While East Valley stores didn’t have to deal with the turbulent storms of the East Coast and Midwest in February, the sagging stock market and worries about war kept local shoppers pinching pennies.

It's been a slow summer for many retailers, exaggerated by the declining economy that has left some people spending their discretionary income to fill their gas tanks instead of their closets or cuisine cravings.

A leading retail trade organization has dubbed November and December the "season of worry" for retailers hoping to shore up their bottom line for the year.

Erica Everts of Scottsdale sailed through Target, stocking up on Kleenex, pencils, dry-erase markers, audio tapes and hand sanitizer, crossing each off the list of required items for second-grade students at Desert Canyon School.

The U.S. retail industry is in better shape than it has been for at least the last eight months, industry leaders say.

Amid a background of high energy costs and a sinking stock market, retail figures released Tuesday reveal a murky picture about consumers and their spending habits.

It may be mostly East Valley people trying to escape the blistering weather outside, but Arizona Mills mall has been packed with shoppers for more than a week.

It may be mostly East Valley people trying to escape the blistering weather outside, but Arizona Mills mall has been packed with shoppers for more than a week.

The Thanksgiving turkey has turned into leftovers. The kids are off from school, parents are off from work, and all are looking forward — or not — to a long weekend of family togetherness.

NEW YORK - The outlook for the holiday season brightened Thursday as many of the nation’s retailers reported an improvement in sales in October.

WASHINGTON - Consumers battered by a multitude of economic woes came roaring back in November, pushing retail sales up by the largest amount in four months.

Tricia and Doug Folger of Scottsdale, who have six kids and a bunch of nieces and nephews to buy gifts for, started their Christmas shopping early this year.

WASHINGTON - Retail sales rose in March at the fastest clip in three months as warmer weather and an early Easter put consumers in a buying mood.

WASHINGTON - Shoppers got back in the buying mood in July, propelling sales at the nation's retailers up by 1.4 percent, the most in six months.