Consumer behaviour

Black Friday? Around the world, bargain hunting takes many other forms

As Americans hit the malls this Friday, we asked some folks around the globe about the equivalent to Black Friday in their country. What we found is a many similarities, but not many places that do it quite the American way.

Shoppers Prepare for Black Friday

Weighing Consumer Confidence Before the Holiday Season

The World

Consumer confidence and the economy

Arts, Culture & Media

Sociology of Shopping

The World

World Trade Summit: Consumer Power

Author and environmental policy analyst John Ryan of Northwest Environment Watch makes some observations about the power of consumers to shape the global economy with prudent buying decisions.

The World

A LIFE OF STUFF

The Strong Museum in Rochester, New York is taking a look at our consumerist culture and finding that American attitudes about nature are changing, but our habits aren’t. Brenda Tremblay reports.

The World

Reward Offered: German Babies

While Germany contributes money for international population control, one German state, Brandenburg, is giving cash rewards to women who have more German babies. Alexa Dvorson reports on reaction to this incentive program.

Green Consumerism: Hype or Hoax

Steve explores the promises and pitfalls of green consuming with Alan Durning, a senior researcher with the Worldwatch Institute in Washington, DC, and Alice Tepper Marlin, president of the Council on Economic Priorities and co-author of Shopping for A Better World.

The World

Finance: mixed signals on the economic recovery

Key economic indicators are still giving mixed signals about the recovery of the nation’s economy. Housing numbers were up, but now they are down; consumer confidence was rising, and now it’s sagging. Analysts still can’t say if we have hit bottom.