Shopping Issues (advanced)

Plummeting sales of DVD and Blu-ray movies have caused consternation in Hollywood, as more and more consumers favor streaming content online.

The head of fisheries at NOAA has stated that tests unequivocally show that gulf seafood is safe to eat, but consumers remain daunted.

According to one survey, there were as many as 138 million shoppers in queues and stores this Black Friday. The day of heavy discounts marks a release of pent-up consumer demand.

The Borders bookstore chain has filed for bankruptcy, a sign of society's shift to browse-and-choose consumption, preferring snippets and excerpts over whole stories.

Philippine Bishop has accused Santa Claus of stealing the true spirit of Christmas, which he said is deteriorating into a shopping frenzy.

Amazon has recently patented a "system and method for converting gifts." Consumers could keep a list of lousy gift givers, whose choices would be vetted before anything ships.

Walmart has become a microcosm of American life, serving as the backdrop for countless tales of kindness and mayhem, spread with glee and alacrity across the Internet.

According to one survey, there were as many as 138 million shoppers in queues and stores this Black Friday. The day of heavy discounts marks a release of pent-up consumer demand.

Anna Jarvis, the originator of Mother's Day, was deeply disturbed by the commercialization of the holiday, and fought to reform it the rest of her life.

Bars in the U.K. and Canada may have stumbled on to something, handing out lollipops to pacify unruly customers.