Greg Ip

because essentially it becomes like surge pricing.

The holiday season can be make or break for retailers, and this past one for Target?

You know, it wasn't great.

Janet Joseph Kloppenberg of JJK Research says some of that was due to basic execution.

But retailers also faced headwinds that were out of their control, says Anthony Chukumba of Loop Capital.

Add growing job concerns, and consumers could remain wary about discretionary spending in the year to come.

Chikumba says oil prices are already rising due to the war in the Middle East, which could further strain consumers and retailers alike.

But there are some opportunities for retailers, says Jessica Ramirez of the Consumer Collective.

Those include beauty products and work attire.

Many Americans will also see higher-than-usual tax refunds this year, says Janet Joseph Kloppenberg of JJK Research.

That could provide a temporary boost for retailers.

I'm Daniel Ackerman for Marketplace.

Auto sales flagged late last year and into January.

Now, in the first week of March, consumers are seeing war in the headlines.

That might give consumers pause before buying a new car or pickup, the average price of which topped $50,000 late last year for the first time ever.

Though so far, price alone hasn't dissuaded many buyers, says Carl Brouwer at iccars.com.

I've been amazed at the level of new vehicle sales.

Vehicles have gotten extremely expensive.

and people keep buying them in spite of that.

Rauer says it's an effect of the K-shaped economy.