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Caroline Champlin

Latest Stories (84)

How will traditional holiday sales days fare this year?

Nov 29, 2021
Consumers appear to be spreading their holiday spending across more days, heeding advice to get their orders in early.
New data shows that in-store sales on this year's Black Friday were down compared with pre-pandemic levels. Above, the festive Galleria mall in Houston on Black Friday.
Brandon Bell via Getty Images

Zoom is part of the business model for some pandemic-era entrepreneurs

Nov 23, 2021
Zoom's earnings beat expectations, though some businesses are trying to move away from the platform. Others rely on it.
Some online cocktail companies have thrived on Zoom during the pandemic. Above, a woman enjoys a virtual happy hour in April 2020.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

The Deere strike will be felt throughout the agriculture industry

Nov 22, 2021
Higher wages for Deere workers will show up slightly in equipment prices —but that's only one of many costs farmers face.
Striking workers picket outside a John Deere facility in Iowa in October. Some have seen the strike as an example of workers' increased negotiating power.
Scott Olson via Getty Images

Staffing is key to smooth air travel over the holiday period

Nov 22, 2021
As the number of passengers returns to near pre-pandemic levels, the airline industry is struggling to find enough workers.
Air travel is expected to approach pre-pandemic levels this holiday season.
Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

What do CVS store closures say about the future of pharmacies?

Nov 19, 2021
The pharmacies of the future may focus more on health services and primary care. But decisions about where stores will close could be critical for underserved communities.
CVS plans to close about 900 stores starting in 2022.
Tim Boyle/Getty Images

Apple opens up devices for DIY repairs

Nov 18, 2021
People who feel comfortable enough to open up their own devices will be able to use Apple parts and tools.
Apple's new self service repair program is set to launch in early 2022.
Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images

What are small business owners thinking these days about paid family leave?

Nov 17, 2021
A new study suggests that some businesses owners may have become more open to the idea during the pandemic.
While offering paid family leave may be difficult for small businesses, it could be easier than hiring amid the labor shortage.
RichLegg 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.
Scott Heins/Getty Images

Companies ease up on the holiday ads

Nov 15, 2021
This is usually a season when department stores, automakers and other retailers go big on ads touting special holiday deals. Not this year.
A pedestrian walks past a store advertising a Black Friday sale in New York.
Jeenah Moon/Getty Images

Small LA retailers optimistic ahead of the year's biggest shopping season

Nov 12, 2021
Yes, there are shortages, and prices are up. But in these Los Angeles gift stores, shoppers are already shopping.
Shirts and hats are shown in a small retailer in Los Angeles before the 2020 holiday shopping season.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images