The coronavirus and online shopping are forcing brick-and-mortar retail stores to close, often for good.
Jul 6, 2020 - Economy & BusinessThat could benefit budget names like Ross and Kohl's.
May 19, 2020 - Economy & BusinessFashion is a massive polluter.
Mar 7, 2020 - Economy & BusinessIf Main Street is going to be saved, enduring American vanity will be among the primary reasons.
Updated Jan 12, 2019 - Economy & BusinessMalls are becoming ghosts of retail past. But the left-behind real estate is being reimagined for a post-pandemic world.
Why it matters: As many as 17% of malls in the U.S. "may no longer be viable as shopping centers and need to be redeveloped into other uses," per Barclays.
Retail sales in the U.S. surged 9.8% in March as shoppers increased spending across several categories, including in-store shopping, restaurant dining and online purchases, the Census Bureau revealed in a new report Thursday.
Why it matters: It was the biggest monthly boost in retail spending since May 2020 — bouncing back from a dip in February — helped by the latest round of stimulus checks, the ramped-up vaccination effort and the economic reopening.
A new poll of more than 10,000 small business owners finds that even as nearly half (48%) are earning less than 50% of their monthly, pre-pandemic revenues, their worries are moving from COVID-19 to the increasing cost of goods and supplies.
What's happening: The latest survey from Alignable finds "a newfound optimism that expedited vaccine distribution in the U.S. has kick-started the beginning of a recovery for some industries and groups, while others still suffer."
Bad news for Amazon is usually viewed as good news by its smaller retail rivals, wherever they sit in the supply chain. But that may not be true this week.
The big picture: Nearly 6,000 Amazon warehouse workers in Alabama are awaiting the preliminary results of a unionization vote, which could be released at any moment by the National Labor Relations Board.
In a world where smartphones have become increasingly homogeneous, Korea's LG was notable for being willing to take risks, even in its flagship models.
Why it matters: LG's exit from the smartphone business doesn't put a lot of market share up for grabs, but the firm's penchant for trying new things will be missed.
Digital currency platform Bakkt launched its consumer app Tuesday. The Bakkt App serves as a digital wallet for loyalty and rewards points and gift cards, as well as bitcoin.
Why it matters: Building an app that places bitcoin next to commonly used forms of digital assets could help introduce cryptocurrency to people who might not otherwise seek it out.
Companies may feel more pressure to speak out about controversies than in the past. But boycotts against Coca-Cola and Nike this week demonstrate why it's not always a cut and dry win if they do.
Why it matters: Two years ago, hundreds of top CEOs agreed their purpose shouldn't just be about shareholders, but all stakeholders — including their supply chains, customers and employees.
A portrait of the Fyre Media logo held by rapper Ja Rule sold at auction for $122,000 through the rapper’s NFT venture Flipkick painting, Ja Rule said on Twitter.
Why it matters: Because markets are efficient.
Half of all women-owned businesses and nearly 6 in 10 small businesses owned by people of color (59%) are "highly concerned" about keeping their firms solvent through the end of the second quarter, a new survey from Alignable shows.
The big picture: Almost half of all businesses (45%) said they were "highly concerned" about their ability to keep the lights on, including close to two-thirds of all beauty salons (63%) and caterers (63%).
GameStop sales fell during its all-important holiday quarter — the first business update from the company since the Reddit-fueled stock mania.
Why it matters: For all the talk about GameStop's stock, there's been less about the company itself — which has struggled to adapt to the more digital video game landscape.