May 16, 2012
JC Penney stock is currency down percent after the company reported that customer traffic is down, sales are down, and the quarterly loss was bigger than expected. The company had hired Ron Johnson, the man behind Apple Stores, to make JC Penney more fashionable.
May 15, 2012
We'll know more later this morning with the latest retail sales figures for April. The forecast is for sales to be down after mild weather pushed extra spending into the first three months of the year. But at least one segment of the retail sector has been hanging on to growth.
Apr 30, 2012
A small business incubator seeks to revitalize a neighborhood in Oakland through a handful of pop-up stores that have no plans to close.
Apr 16, 2012
Retail numbers faced their second month of strength in March, helped by the warm weather and the early Easter holiday.
Apr 16, 2012
The Commerce Department reports retail sales rose more than expected in March, by a solid 0.8 percent.
Apr 2, 2012
The survey consensus was for no increase to slight increase in interest rates for 2012. Nothing dramatic. Very muted. There's no sense that the economy will turn gangbusters. At best, the economy will show modest gains in 2012.
Mar 30, 2012
Commentator Frances Frei says automation needs to improve the customer experience, not frustrate it.
Mar 27, 2012
The father of what we know as the mass-produced skateboard passed away at age 81. How has the industry grown since he first began to churn out boards?
Mar 27, 2012
Retail is getting more and more "robotified," and where it's most evident is the self checkout kiosks at supermarkets. Retail clerks are finding themselves displaced by the machines.
Mar 22, 2012
On a two-day trip to promote his energy policy, President Obama said the nation must invest in alternative energy or cede leadership to China. He called on Congress to help create jobs by providing more aid to struggling homeowners and investing more in infrastructure.
