Retail

Here's a bit of good news for Best Buy shoppers and shareholders. Lost in last week's dreary announcements of job cuts and store closures was a plan to beef up its customer loyalty program, Reward Zone Silver.

Best Buy has a big plan to cut its costs and regain its focus: closing stores, laying off employees, shifting its focus to smartphones and mobile gadgets, and slimming down margins. Only problem is, none of that is going to save it.

Over the past few years, Walmart lost its rep for being the place to go for the lowest prices. Now, the nation's biggest retailer is making a serious push to earn that bargain cred back.

What could be easier than paying for something with a wave of your phone? Not much. But there are prices to be paid for the frictionless ease of mobile payments, and they aren't all obvious.

Walmart built a successful retail empire powered by low prices and high volume, but it hasn't kept innovating. Now other companies are successfully changing consumers' behaviors in a way that is slowly strangling the world's largest retailer.

It'll be a good Easter for sellers of brightly colored outfits and chocolate bunnies: Americans are expected to shell out 11% more for the holiday this year.

Constant sales have taught shoppers to distrust department store pricing. Can a more honest approach win them back?