Most Valentine's Day celebrants plan to shop a week or less before the holiday, and many wait until Feb. 13 or 14 to make their final purchases, according to research by the NPD Group, a leading global information company.

According to global information company the NPD Group, consumers rewarded the U.S. retail toy industry with a strong December.

Total home improvement dollars increased by 7% when comparing the 12 months ended July 2012 with the previous 12 months, according to consumer research from The NPD Group.

The NPD Group unveiled the top current favorite play items among children ages 14 years and younger.

Ahead of the toy industry's annual convention this February, The NPD Group has reported that U.S. retail sales of toys generated $21.18 billion in 2011 compared with $21.68 billion in 2010, a decline of 2%.

The NPD Group has some good news for retailers worried about weak video game sales this holiday season, according to a survey of spending habits in the second quarter of 2011, in addition to the $1.44 billion spent in the U.S. by consumers on new physical video and PC game software in the second quarter of 2011, the total consumer spend on content via other monetization methods, including used games, game rentals, subscriptions, digital full-game downloads, social network games, downloadable content, and mobile games, is estimated at $1.74 billion.

While agreeing on many factors, men and women still value different things when it comes to purchasing decisions.

Children's interest are constantly changing, but right now Justin Bieber is tops with kids.

NPD Group named Perry James, a 16-year veteran with the research firm, as the new president of home and office supplies.

The NPD Group announced that John Deputato will head its expanded advanced analytics business as SVP.

The NPD Group found that this year 38% of respondents to its back-to-school spending intentions...