Saks

Many retailers are reporting solid sales gains for December, capping a decent holiday season, but shoppers bent on discounts exacted a high price.

Retailers are reporting strong sales gains in November, boosted by a discount-fueled spending binge for the start of the holiday shopping season last weekend. Now, the challenge is to keep shoppers spending throughout the most important selling period of the year.

July retail sales were solid, with Costco, Macy's, JC Penney, Nordstron and Saks Fifth Avenue all beating expectations. Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, the retail consultancy, says we could be having the best back-to-school selling season since 2006.

Firecracker remnants may still dot the nation's sidewalks, but retail forecasters are already talking about back-to-school shopping season -- and they're happy to do so. The improved economic environment is setting the stage for sales gains in everything from tablet computers to bold-colored jeans.

On Memorial Day weekend, retailers pull out all the stops to move fresh merchandise, and if you play your cards right, you can get some great deals. But even though it's the semi-official start of summer, you'll want to do your homework first. (Don't worry, you can cheat off of DailyFinance's personal finance columnist, Regina Lewis.)

Shoppers shrugged off higher gas prices and cool temperatures to give retailers a surprisingly strong March. "There is still a significant amount of pent-up demand,"said Ken Perkins, president of RetailMetrics LLC, a research firm. "I think the job recovery is catching on."

Retailers got some unexpected love from shoppers in the form of strong February sales. But whether consumers repeat the feat in spring could depend on gasoline prices and how they feel about their finances. So, March could be tough.