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Retail

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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'Tis the season of post-holiday gift returns

by Stephanie Hughes
Jan 4, 2023
About 18% of all holiday sales are expected to be returned. That comes with costs to companies, consumers, and the climate.
An estimated $171 billion in returns are expected from this holiday season, says a report from the National Retail Federation.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images
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With retail inventories up 17% since last year, expect sales

by Sabri Ben-Achour
Dec 19, 2022
Retailers' inventories in October were nearly 17% higher than a year before.
Inventory levels are 17% higher in October than a year earlier, according to the Commerce Department. That means retailers will likely discount goods to move merchandise.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
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I've Always Wondered ...

How much profit do fireworks stands make?

by Janet Nguyen
Dec 16, 2022
One fireworks business owner said a 20% profit margin is considered "great."
As the new year approaches, some fireworks businesses are starting to pitch their tents.
franckreporter/Getty Images
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A Seattle 'candle bar' sees its first holiday shopping season

by Sean McHenry
Dec 8, 2022
Originally started in her kitchen during the pandemic, candlemaker Colina Bruce talks about moving her business into a brick-and-mortar store and how things are shaping up through the holidays.
"Noir Lux started as kind of a pandemic passion project in my kitchen," said owner Colina Bruce. "That led into launching a whole ecommerce site, virtual candle- making classes, and that got my wheels turning about what it might look like for me to have my own space."
Cr. @kingnoir31
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For hiking outfitter, this holiday season feels like a path untrodden

by Sean McHenry
Dec 7, 2022
From dealing with surplus inventory to accommodating changing consumer habits, this Georgia retailer is trying to suss out the future.
Eric Champlin (left) and husband Rob Sollie at their shop in Hiawassee, Georgia. "Consumer buying patterns are definitely shifting," Champlin says.
Courtesy Champlin
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What Target's poor third-quarter results say about the retail sector

by Andy Uhler
Nov 16, 2022
The company missed profit expectations, and its leadership is warning of a soft holiday season.
“In some ways, Target is a microcosm for what's happening in retail,” says Neil Saunders, managing director at GlobalData, a retail research firm.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
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