Marielle Segarra

Senior Reporter

SHORT BIO

Marielle Segarra is a former reporter for Marketplace. She covers taxes and consumer psychology. She covered retail, consumer psychology and the economy. One topic she enjoyed exploring: how we shop – and the emotions that come up as we do. Pride. Guilt. Frustration. She also followed small businesses as they find their way in the pandemic and is always trying to show people how the ins and outs of the economy are relevant to their lives.

What was your first job?

Summer camp counselor to a bunch of 5-year-olds.

In your next life, what would your career be?

I think I would still want to create things. Maybe I'd be a chef. Or an interior designer. Or I'd write for a TV show.

Fill in the blank: Money can’t buy you happiness, but it can buy you ______.

Financial stability, which is a good start.

What’s the favorite item in your workspace and why?

My stash of chocolate.

Latest Stories (452)

Will hospitals run out of protective gear again as cases rise?

Jun 29, 2020
3M has doubled production of N95 masks, but demand still exceeds supply.
Medical personnel administer a COVID-19 test in West Palm Beach, Florida. As cases begin to rise again, the United States might have an easier time securing personal protective equipment.
Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

As pandemic worsens, will restaurants need to pull back again?

Jun 24, 2020
Small restaurants are at the greatest risk if put under new restrictions.
A Los Angeles restaurant worker wears a face covering and gloves for handling takeout orders, accompanied by pandemic-safety instructions.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

Here's how companies are observing Juneteenth this year

Jun 19, 2020
Juneteenth dates back to 1865, and it is a celebration specifically of the end of slavery in Texas, which was one of the last holdouts.
This is not a new holiday. But with the conversation we’re having now about racial injustice and American history, companies are paying attention to it.
David Paul Morris/Getty Images

Quaker Oats is retiring the Aunt Jemima brand because of its origins in "a racial stereotype"

Up until now, Quaker hasn't been interested in changing the logo or even acknowledging the history of the brand.
The branding of Aunt Jemima actually goes back to the late 1800s, and was used to evoke a common racist caricature of Black women.
Mike Mozart/Flickr via Creative Commons

Retail sales soar 17.7% in May, although they're still down compared to last year

Jun 16, 2020
Overall, retail sales are down by 6% compared to May 2019.
With lockdowns lifting, economists expected May retail sales to jump. But not by this much.
Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

As states lift restrictions, are people going back to stores and restaurants?

Jun 12, 2020
We check in with some folks we talked to a month ago.
People dine on a restaurant patio in Connecticut in late May. Some people feel more comfortable dining outside at a restaurant but aren't ready to sit in a dining room yet.
John Moore/Getty Images

A day in the life of a store owner during a pandemic

Jun 11, 2020
Maris Johansson, pursuing a lifelong dream, launched her Denver shop for children’s clothing and toys just weeks ago.
Maris Johansson is trying to keep her brand-new store afloat during the pandemic.
Photo: Laura Schmalstieg

If a company is serious about racial pay equity, what should it do?

Jun 9, 2020
There are concrete steps companies can take. To start, collect the data.
Companies can take steps to close the racial pay gap, starting with collecting the data.
PeopleImages

Despite anti-racism pledges, few large companies have Black CEOs

Jun 8, 2020
Many brands have said recently that they oppose racism and support their Black colleagues. But the composition of leadership ranks don't reflect those sentiments.
Roger Ferguson, Jr., CEO of TIAA, is one of the four Black CEOs who lead Fortune 500 companies.
John Lamparski/Getty Images

Neighborhoods where stores were destroyed become food deserts overnight

Jun 4, 2020
Grocery stores. Bodegas. Pharmacies. Check-cashing spots. All gone.
A burned Walgreens in Minneapolis on May 30.
Stephen Maturen/Getty Images