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For this London honey seller, the buzz is about British bees

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

Online retailers lean into secondhand shopping surge

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

Wayfair steps into IRL retail

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

Movie theaters aren't going anywhere, and it's partially due to their weird architecture

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

While the secondhand market booms, thrifting is coming apart at the seams

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

Why are discounters like 99 Cents Only Stores in dire straits?

Apr 9, 2024
99 Cents and Dollar Tree are facing inflationary pressures and competition. Their customers aren’t doing that well either.
A 99 Cents Only store in Los Angeles, The discount chain plans to close all of its 371 stores, which are located in California, Arizona, Nevada and Texas.
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

Do landlords get tax credits for empty buildings? 

Aug 4, 2023
Some regions provide a form of tax relief, but under special circumstances, while others actually tax cities for commercial vacancies.
People walk past vacant stores at a mall in Miami, Florida.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

In the Bronx, a bookstore on wheels is parking it at a new spot as the business expands

Jul 28, 2023
Come October, Latanya DeVaughn, owner of mobile bookstore Bronx Bound Books, anticipates author events and a permanent spot at the mall.
Bronx Bound Books' busiest period is August to December as it visits farmers markets and school book fairs.
Courtesy Latanya DeVaughn

On Juneteenth, this small business owner makes space for big conversations

Jun 19, 2023
"As a Black business owner, often I'm asked to share a little bit about my story, or my journey, or my background. And so I get to facilitate conversations around these things while making candles," said Colina Bruce of Noir Lux Candle Co.
Bruce says she's been invited to participate in a variety of local Juneteenth events.
Courtesy @kingnoir31

The search for the perfect "dupe" might be more valuable than the dupe itself

Jun 7, 2023
"It's gotten to the point where the logic of dupes has been sort of flipped on its head," said Sangeeta Singh-Kurtz. "And people are spending more time and in some cases, more money dupe-hunting than they would if they just bought the original."
Above, counterfeit Prada bags. "[Dupes] also include counterfeits and knockoffs," said Sangeeta Singh-Kurtz. "It's sort of a Gen Z-destigmatized rebranding of fakes, but fake goods definitely fall under the dupe umbrella."
Phillipe Lopez/AFP via Getty Images