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Retail

Kmart is closing its last store in the U.S.

by Kristin Schwab
Sep 25, 2024
The bargain retailer has struggled for years in the shadow of its two biggest imitators: Target and Walmart.
After closing hundreds of locations nationwide — like the one in Elmhurst, Illinois, seen above — Kmart announced its last full-scale store will be closing in October.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
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It's barely fall, but retailers are already gearing up for the holiday season

by Kristin Schwab
Sep 24, 2024
It may only be September, but Macy's is set to hire nearly 32,000 seasonal workers, and Walmart has already announced its earliest deals.
Retail giants like Walmart are gearing up for the holidays with plans to hire thousands of seasonal workers.
CARLOS JASSO/AFP via Getty Images
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"Make Me Smart” Newsletter

Is the shoplifting "crisis" over?

by Ellen Rolfes and Katie Reuther
Sep 20, 2024
Plus, we'll look at the how gas prices can affect elections and do the numbers on the new COVID vaccine in this week's newsletter.
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Why dollar stores aren't doing as well as you might expect

by Kristin Schwab
Sep 13, 2024
Dollar stores were expanding just a few years ago. Now, they're closing locations.
Namesake low prices at dollar stores isn't enough to keep customers away from competition anymore.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
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Back-to-school shoppers have value at the top of their lists

by Savannah Peters
Aug 8, 2024
Brands are tasked with coaxing more inflation-weary parents into spending.
"Consumers might say, 'OK, I’m going to shop at a discount store when I might have previously shopped at a traditional big box store,'" says Claire Tassin, an analyst with Morning Consult.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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For this London honey seller, the buzz is about British bees

by Kai Ryssdal and Sean McHenry
Jun 25, 2024
Business is strong for Samantha Wallace. But she's dealing with complicated import rules and seeking the right varieties of domestic honey.
A bee collects nectar from lavender in Knutsford, England. "Our passion is honey," says Samantha Wallace, who values "the diversity of flavor."
Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
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Online retailers lean into secondhand shopping surge

by Meghan McCarty Carino
Jun 17, 2024
As consumers become more thoughtful about spending, many are turning to used goods when they need to shop.
"eBay was the OG of all of this," said retail analyst Sucharita Kodali at Forrester. "They're trying to introduce themselves to this new generation."
Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
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Wayfair steps into IRL retail

by Meghan McCarty Carino
May 16, 2024
Many consumers are more comfortable buying furnishings in person. Several online-native brands have recently expanded into physical retail.
Wayfair's first brick-and-mortar store, located in Wilmette, Illinois. The 150,000-square-foot space will carry only a fraction of what’s online.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
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Movie theaters aren't going anywhere, and it's partially due to their weird architecture

by Kristin Schwab and Sarah Leeson
Apr 17, 2024
With sloping, concrete floors and huge, windowless rooms, movie theaters are not the easiest properties to convert.
Ticket sales at movie theaters are still down from pre-pandemic times.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images
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While the secondhand market booms, thrifting is coming apart at the seams

by Kai Ryssdal and Aleezeh Hasan
Apr 15, 2024
If you've recently dug through the racks of a Goodwill and found a lot of lower-quality fast fashion, you're not alone, says Kelsey Vlamis of Business Insider.
"Needs-based shoppers are increasingly getting priced out, and it's getting harder to find those, like, special pieces at an affordable price," says Business Insider reporter Kelsey Vlamis.
Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images
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