Lowe's to test mini Petcos in stores

Jan 27, 2022
E-commerce is driving the stores-within-stores trend.
Lowe's will try incorporating miniature Petcos into some locations, following a trend of similar retail partnerships.
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Buy now, pay later services replace layaway

Jan 10, 2022
Services like Affirm and Klarna charge interest for allowing consumers to pay for their purchases in installments.
Layaway has become a relic of retail's past.
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What might consumer spending look like in 2022?

Dec 31, 2021
Retailers are making a calculation about what to put on shelves. And it comes down to supply and demand.
Throughout the pandemic, consumers have shopped quite a bit. It doesn't look like the spread of omicron is going to hamper that.
Paul Ratje/AFP via Getty Images

After 18 months on lists of Black-owned businesses, her clothing company is "leveling out"

Dec 23, 2021
Aliya Wanek's clothing line is still more popular than it was in 2019, so she reduced her hours at her day job.
Aliya Wanek now works part-time as a speech therapist to devote more time to her clothing business.
Photo courtesy Aliya Wanek

Inflation is hiding within retail sales spikes

Nov 16, 2021
While prices are rising for consumers, that's not discouraging them from making purchases.
A woman shops at a Miami Target in September. While retail sales were up 16.3% year over year in October, inflation is eating up a lot of that increase.
Joe Raedle via Getty Images

Not everyone is planning to spend money on gifts this holiday season

Nov 16, 2021
A Deloitte seasonal survey finds the percentage of people who say they are not planning to buy gifts or pay for holiday experiences is at a 10-year high.
Holiday shoppers in New York City. Many lower-income households are skipping out on holiday spending altogether, according to a Deloitte survey.
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With shipping costs sky-high, is importing products even worth it?

Nov 8, 2021
For some businesses, the answer is no, but it depends on the value of the product in question.
With costly manufacturing and delayed shipping timelines, the value of certain products is shifting in the eyes of retailers. Above, people watch a container ship at the Port of Los Angeles.
Mario Tama via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

How one bookseller arrived at its next chapter

Nov 3, 2021
The co-owners of “A Good Used Book” in Los Angeles, California, are back in their retail space and looking ahead to the future.
This summer, Jenny Yang and Chris Capizzi, co-owners of A Good Used Book, began selling books in-person again after pivoting to online sales during pandemic lockdown.
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Vacant real estate: Spirit Halloween's favorite haunt

Oct 29, 2021
The pop-up shop has more than 1,400 stores throughout the U.S. and Canada, taking over iconic locations such as Barneys on Seventh Avenue.
Spirit Halloween expanded this year, with 3% more stores than in 2020.
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Small retailers are caught between order backlogs and ramping demand

Oct 29, 2021
Three independent retailers on how they're dealing with shortages, price increases and high demand.
The interior of one Dean's Sweets location in Portland, Maine. "If we sell more chocolate with a lower profit margin, we're still going to be OK," said co-owner Kristin Thalheimer Bingham.
Courtesy of Kristin Thalheimer Bingham