For this Michigan business owner, wage hikes are tied to price hikes

Oct 16, 2023
Annie Lang Hartman, owner of Wild Lettie, is planning ahead. And one of her biggest concerns is payroll.
"We're kind of settling into fall, which is a little bit quieter for us," said Annie Lang Hartman of Wild Lettie. Above, the interior of one of her shops.
Courtesy Lang Hartman

Why are boutiques and coffee shops selling the same olive oil and tinned fish?

Feb 2, 2023
Those pantry brands aren't as small as consumers think, says writer Emily Sundberg. Wholesaler Faire is "the Oz behind the curtain."
If you've noticed boutiques or coffee shops offering a selection of artisanal pantry basics, there's a chance they're all being purchased from the same wholesale marketplace.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Online retailer Cheekys offers a monthly subscription service called "Chicks Fix" to their online customers.
Audrey Austin/Cheekys

Google throws something called Boutiques.com at the wall, waits to see if it sticks

Nov 17, 2010
It's like this: Google makes an unimaginable pile of cash off of ad revenues, text ads primarily. And they have a ton of smart people working there...