Kristin Schwab

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Kristin Schwab is a reporter at Marketplace focusing on the consumer economy. She's based in Brooklyn, New York.

Before Marketplace, Kristin produced narrative and news podcasts for The New York Times, New York Magazine and The Wall Street Journal. She teaches audio journalism at her alma mater, Columbia Journalism School.

Kristin also has a BFA in dance from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. After performing with ballet and modern companies, she got her start in journalism as an editor at Dance Magazine. Kristin grew up in Minnesota and has been a bit reporting obsessed since watching the '90s PBS show "Ghostwriter" as a kid. Yes, she had one of those necklace pens and a marbled composition notebook.

Episodes by Kristin (10)

Marketplace

Steel tariffs déjà vu

Apr 17, 2024

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Marketplace

“This is the time to be a saver”

Apr 2, 2024

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Marketplace

Ultimately, the joke's on Gmail rivals

Apr 1, 2024

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Marketplace

Can we break out of the mortgage lock-in effect?

Feb 19, 2024

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Marketplace

Shoppers love easy returns. But retailers aren't sold on 'em.

Nov 24, 2023

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Marketplace Minute

Wall Street rallies on inflation

Nov 14, 2023

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Marketplace

A closer look at unemployment and wealth gap data

Oct 19, 2023

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Marketplace

How water moves — or stalls — the economy

Oct 18, 2023

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Marketplace Minute

Oil prices are in flux

Sep 6, 2023

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Marketplace

Tracing the roots of Labor Day

Sep 4, 2023

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Latest Stories (505)

How much have prices increased over the past year? It depends on where you live.

by Kristin Schwab

Jan 30, 2023

Inflation's been running hotter in areas that people have been moving into — and cooler where they're moving out.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Miami, seen above, have ticked up more than 10%. Housing costs are partially to blame.

Joe Raedle/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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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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How companies decide to lay off workers

by Kristin Schwab

Jan 5, 2023

Layoffs are often one of the first ways companies cut costs. But they don’t take them lightly because there’s a lot at stake, not least employee goodwill and public image.

Amazon is beginning layoffs again after starting staff cuts in November. The layoffs are impacting roughly 5% of Amazon's workforce.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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As our online behavior changes, companies spend less ad money on Google and Meta

by Kristin Schwab

Jan 4, 2023

Part of the reason: Social media platforms like TikTok are changing the way we shop online.

While Google is still a big part of the ad business, people are turning to sites like Amazon "as a product search engine instead," said Sucharita Kodali, a retail analyst at Forrester.

Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images

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Flu season, COVID and other viruses mean medication is in demand

by Kristin Schwab

Dec 27, 2022

The country is still facing shortages of Children’s Tylenol and other common over-the-counter medicines.

While some stores are limiting purchases of flu medications to avoid panic buying, others are facing shortages.

Mario Tama/Getty Images

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Why all the flight cancellations? Airlines are still in recovery mode

by Kristin Schwab

Dec 23, 2022

Capacity is down. The weather's not great, either.

Another wave of flight cancellations and delays for the holidays has travelers on edge.

Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

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As inflation hangs over the holidays, advertisers target feelings over products

by Kristin Schwab

Dec 22, 2022

Instead of displaying abundance of materials, ads are leaning into things like family time.

Some advertisers have shifted their focus away from the material this holiday season.

Getty Images

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Urgent care industry grows as need, business opportunity meet

by Kristin Schwab

Dec 12, 2022

The pandemic shone a light on urgent care's role in the health system. Private equity has taken notice.

A CityMD urgent care clinic in New York City. The chain is among several in the industry that are expanding aided by investment from private equity.

Cindy Ord/Getty Images

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Kristin Schwab

Reporter

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Episodes by Kristin (10)

Latest Stories (505)

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