Over the past week, people in the Northeast have been dealing with the after math of the blizzard that struck over the holiday weekend, but even worse hit are retailers that lost out on huge post-Christmas holiday shopping as people were forced to stay at home.

While it is impossible to put an exact number on just how much retailers lost out on, ShopperTrak, who tracks sales and customer traffic at over 70,000 stores and malls, estimated that retailers lost around $1 billion during the blizzard.

Well, guys, it's become a little easier for your girlfriend to hint for that engagement ring. On the plus side, it's become easier for you to shop for one. Tiffany & Co. (TIF) has launched a new app for Apple's (AAPL) iPhone, and it may just become a girl's best friend.

The free app, called the "Engagement Ring Finder," allows a would-be groom (or bride) to browse through shapes, settings, metals, designs, and carat sizes (only up to 2.5 carats, so the super generous among you will have to visit a TIF store). It is also possible to view the rings from various angles and look at them "actual size." Users can save their favorite looks to consult with friends and family via text, email, Facebook, and Twitter.

In order for the current U.S. economic recovery to continue, people are going to need to spend. But in April, consumer spending had its weakest showing in the past seven months.

Consumption was flat for the month, despite rising incomes, as consumers opted to stash away their money in savings instead of running out and spending it. The savings rate jumped to 3.6% for the month, up from 3.1% during March.

Earlier this year, General Growth Properties Inc. (GGP) rejected a $10 billion buyout offer from rival Simon Property Group (SPG), but Simon Property is not giving up completely. Wednesday Simon Property announced it would up its offer to $10 per share for GGP in exchange for 25% of the company.

The offer that was quickly rejected a couple of months ago placed a $9 value on GGP stock, and rose some anti-trust concerns.

Let the cone-bra jokes begin! Women's Wear Daily is reporting that the music icon is negotiating with Macy's (M) about launching a line of women's contemporary apparel. The collection, which would be available exclusively through the department-store chain, would reportedly run the gamut of fashion, including apparel, lingerie, footwear and accessories.

Helping with the negotiations is Iconix Brand Group, a brand-management firm with several other impressive brands under its umbrella, including Candie's, London Fog, and Danskin. The firm already has experience dealing with iconic pop superstars; the Britney Spears line of Candie's is available exclusively at Kohl's (KSS) stores. While Iconix has declined to comment so far, sources claim the deal is a foregone conclusion.

A visionary in the hyper-competitive retail industry, Sol Price saw a huge opportunity -- in the mid 1970s -- to create a bulk discount chain with a membership fee model. It was the Price Club. By the early 1990s, the company merged with Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST), becoming a powerhouse in the discount market.

Unfortunately, Price died this week. He was 93.

Interestingly enough, Price started his career as a lawyer (he graduated from the University of Southern California). It was a great way to learn about the intricacies of different businesses. For example, one of his clients was Seven Seas Locker Club, which had a bulk-retail model for sailors during World War II.

If consumers try a little harder this year, the holiday season has a shot of hiding memories of last year's nightmare for retailers. The retailers are doing their part, with Walmart (WMT), Gap (GPS), RadioShack (RSH), Walgreens (WAG) and many others opening their doors Thanksgiving Day, giving shoppers the opportunity to start their spending early. There's a chance that consumers will spend a bit more this year to thank each other for keeping their belts so tight for so long.

Forecasts of the season's ultimate result remain difficult to pin down. Some expect a year-over-year decline of 3%, and predictions range to an increase of 2%. Credit is harder to come by, and unemployment remains over 10% and at a 26-year high. But, the pressures on spending are offset by pent-up emotion and a stabilizing financial environment -- even if it isn't getting better yet, it doesn't seem to be getting worse.

If you are hitting Costco Wholesale (COST) for your Monday Night Football party or Thanksgiving celebration, you won't be able to get those cases of Diet Coke. The warehouse-style retailer, which operates more than 550 locations, is no longer carrying Coca-Cola (KO) products in its U.S. stores. That means no Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, or Dasani water, among other products.

Evidently, the retailer and the beverage giant are embroiled in a pricing dispute. A statement on the Costco website indicated that "Coca-Cola has not provided Costco with competitive pricing so that we may pass along the value our members deserve."

Okay, so we all know retailers are looking for every holiday edge this holiday season. Consumer spending's been down, and the sprint to Christmas offers the last chance to pump up those Q4 numbers. They are trying out new ways to reach and engage shoppers, particularly via social media. But, the most effective way to bring new customers into the fold -- and keep them around for a while -- may be to pick up the shipping tab. It's pretty old fashioned, but it's best by test.

Once considered a bonus, a special effort, free shipping isn't really optional any more. If a shopper has to pay for shipping from one retailer, he may move on, knowing that plenty of others aren't charging for it. Rebecca Lieb, vice president at Econsultancy, a digital marketing news publisher, notes, "You're delighted the first time you get free shipping, but you expect it the second time."

And, free shipping shouldn't come with any strings attached, according to Shop.org's eHoliday Study (Shop.org is the e-commerce division of the National Retail Federation). Five years ago, 25% of retailers didn't charge for shipping during the busiest shopping day of the year. This year, however, 57% are planning not to hit their customers up for the extra cash, making this cost just another expense associated with running the business during the holiday season.

Black Friday, as the day after Thanksgiving has come to be known, is the day when most retailers get themselves back into the black. It is also a bargain-hunter's delight. In the age of Internet, several websites emerged dedicated to helping shoppers decide in front of which store to pitch their tents. One of those sites, GottADeal.com, has reportedly landed Target's (TGT) Black Friday ad. Target, it appears, is taking a rather aggressive approach to the upcoming Holiday shopping season.

According to the website, the retailer will offer a 32-inch Westinghouse LCD HDTV for $246, which GottADeal.com's founder Brad Olson calls the "lowest price that we've ever seen for that model." The ad also touts $3 toasters and coffeemakers, and 50% discount on kids' clothes and toys.

In the current economic environment, a lot of companies are cutting back costs wherever they can in hopes of boosting earnings, but entertainment giant Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS) is taking a different approach and spending in hopes of boosting its sales.

Disney is hoping that by completely revamping its retail stores that it will be able to lure in more customers, keep them longer, and encourage more sales. In order to make the best of their new marketing direction, they have enlisted the aid of one of the greatest (in my opinion) retail designers out there, Steve Jobs.

As we continue to question whether or not America is emerging from the recession, one indicator that a lot of people are paying attention to is consumer confidence. Unfortunately, consumer confidence fell unexpectedly this month, as more and more people are worried about their jobs.

According to the New York-based Conference Board, its consumer confidence index dipped to 53.1 in September, down from 54.5 in August.

The dip ends a three month streak, and is being blamed mostly on Americans concerns over job security. The drop raises concerns over any economic rebound, and comes at a bad time for retailers that are gearing up for the upcoming holiday season.

The nations high unemployment rate impacted consumer confidence again in July, the second straight month that people's faith in the economy has wavered.

The Conference Board's index that measures consumer confidence dipped to 46.6, down from June's measure of 49.3. The good news is that we are well above the low we hit back in February at 25.3.

A big factor influencing confidence these days is the nation's unemployment rate, which is expected to rise through 10% in the not too distant future, with 15 states already reporting 10% or greater unemployment.

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), the back-to-school shopping period isn't expected to be strong enough to help retailers. During the past five years, this shopping period has increased; but the NRF has forecast a drop of 7.5% to $47.5 billion this year.

This isn't just a slight drop, a 7.5% drop in sales is rather staggering. In fact, roughly half of the shoppers questioned plan on spending less this year when searching for goodies to take back to school. Ken Perkins of Retail Metrics notes that this isn't just a problem for retailers during the upcoming shopping season, weak back-to-school sales is "likely a harbinger of another difficult holiday shopping season."

Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE: ANF) is probably the best managed specialty retailer of the pack. It's maintained strict discipline on pricing and discounting, unlike many of its peers. ANF has managed to expand its offerings into three separated branded chains selling to different markets.

And the company enjoyed accolades from Wall Street after it beat earnings estimates handily on Feb. 13, reporting earnings of $1.10 per share versus consensus of $1.01 per share. Shares were up over 10% on the news. While I think not much has changed with Abercrombie's operational expertise and its strategy, the current environment is simply not conducive to teens paying big bucks for clothes.