Business Week Ahead, Dec. 6-10

KEY EVENT: Shop talk. Where were you last weekend? Retailers hope you spent some time during the long Thanksgiving weekend shopping and buying at their stores. An important preview of how holiday season shopping will shape up for big stores and smaller chains comes Friday, when the Commerce Department releases retail sales for November.

MONDAY: Earnings from tax preparer H & R Block and hotel operator Vail Resorts.

TUESDAY: The jobs opening and labor turnover survey for October from the Labor Department. Also, the National Federation of Independent Business releases its small-business optimism survey for November. Earnings: auto parts retailer AutoZone, Costco Wholesale, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.

WEDNESDAY: Earnings from clothier Men’s Wearhouse and women’s handbag designer Vera Bradley.

THURSDAY: Two reports from the Labor Department: jobless benefits claims for the week ended Dec. 5 and import and export prices for November. Earnings: publishing software maker Adobe Systems.

FRIDAY: The Labor Department releases producer prices for November, a look at whether inflation on the wholesale level is picking up. Also, October business inventories from the Commerce Department. And the University of Michigan releases consumer sentiment for early December.

— PETER KING