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Stories Tagged as

Retail

Why are boutiques and coffee shops selling the same olive oil and tinned fish?

by Kai Ryssdal and Andie Corban
Feb 2, 2023
Those pantry brands aren't as small as consumers think, says writer Emily Sundberg. Wholesaler Faire is "the Oz behind the curtain."
If you've noticed boutiques or coffee shops offering a selection of artisanal pantry basics, there's a chance they're all being purchased from the same wholesale marketplace.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
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Retail is recovering — and flowering — in smaller cities and the suburbs

by Samantha Fields
Feb 1, 2023
A new report from the JPMorgan Chase Institute finds retail has followed consumers to where many more now work and live.
Consumers are continuing to spend — just closer to home. Above, people walk at an outdoor shopping area in Alpharetta, Georgia.
Jessica McGowan/Getty Images
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Extreme couponing is back. But it's on TikTok this time.

by Kai Ryssdal and Sarah Leeson
Feb 1, 2023
Clipping coupons may be largely digital now, but the deals are still out there. Kayla Burk is teaching a younger generation how to use them.
Kayla Burk, a full-time extreme couponer, makes TikTok explainer videos on how to get discounts.
Karen Bleier/AFP via Getty Images
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Inside the booming business of reselling returned merchandise

by Kristin Schwab
Jan 27, 2023
Everyone from publicly traded companies to individuals working out of their garages are buying and reselling liquidated items.
American Liquidations buys up to 60 truckloads of overstock and returns merchandise every month from retailers like Target, Macy's and Sam's Club.
Kristin Schwab/Marketplace
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Inside the hectic post-holiday "returns season" at a Costco warehouse

by Kristin Schwab
Jan 26, 2023
A good portion never make it back to store shelves.
Costco is famous for its return policy: unlimited returns despite condition or purchase date, with some exceptions.
Eric Thayer/Getty Images
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Declining December retail sales hit especially hard for small businesses

by Samantha Fields
Jan 18, 2023
How did this holiday season go? A few entrepreneurs weigh in.
The latest retail sales data shows a larger-than-expected decrease in purchases in December. For small businesses, those declines hit harder.
SouthWorks/Getty Images
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As discretionary spending slows, retailers try to make themselves essential

by Kristin Schwab
Jan 17, 2023
Here's how one small business is adapting to the changing consumer climate.
Pricier items like furniture tend to be put on hold when households budgets are strained, said AlixPartners' Sonia Lapinsky. Above, a shopper at a Houston Ikea.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
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For this Maine chocolatier, costs are starting to cool down

by Sean McHenry
Jan 12, 2023
After raising prices last fall, Kristin Thalheimer Bingham, co-owner of Dean's Sweets, describes her expenses and product pricing.
"Our biggest challenge going forward is to get our inventory back up and ready for Valentine's Day," said Kristin Thalheimer Bingham, co-owner of Dean's Sweets. Above, nonpareils from the shop.
Melissa Mullen Photography
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In Butte, Montana, holiday shoppers "spent a lot, smiled a lot"

by Kai Ryssdal and Andie Corban
Jan 11, 2023
Mall manager Alana Ferko is coming off a strong holiday shopping season coupled with new business from a Hollywood production.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images
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Over the holidays, retailers faced inventory woes and harsh winter weather

by Sean McHenry
Jan 5, 2023
Three retailers from across the country share how they did over the holiday shopping season.
"We definitely saw more late shoppers this year than in previous years, especially the week before Christmas," said Eric Champlin, co-owner of Trailful Outdoor Company in Hiawassee, Georgia.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
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