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Do landlords get tax credits for empty buildings? 

Aug 4, 2023
Some regions provide a form of tax relief, but under special circumstances, while others actually tax cities for commercial vacancies.
People walk past vacant stores at a mall in Miami, Florida.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

In the Bronx, a bookstore on wheels is parking it at a new spot as the business expands

Jul 28, 2023
Come October, Latanya DeVaughn, owner of mobile bookstore Bronx Bound Books, anticipates author events and a permanent spot at the mall.
Bronx Bound Books' busiest period is August to December as it visits farmers markets and school book fairs.
Courtesy Latanya DeVaughn

On Juneteenth, this small business owner makes space for big conversations

Jun 19, 2023
"As a Black business owner, often I'm asked to share a little bit about my story, or my journey, or my background. And so I get to facilitate conversations around these things while making candles," said Colina Bruce of Noir Lux Candle Co.
Bruce says she's been invited to participate in a variety of local Juneteenth events.
Courtesy @kingnoir31

The search for the perfect "dupe" might be more valuable than the dupe itself

Jun 7, 2023
"It's gotten to the point where the logic of dupes has been sort of flipped on its head," said Sangeeta Singh-Kurtz. "And people are spending more time and in some cases, more money dupe-hunting than they would if they just bought the original."
Above, counterfeit Prada bags. "[Dupes] also include counterfeits and knockoffs," said Sangeeta Singh-Kurtz. "It's sort of a Gen Z-destigmatized rebranding of fakes, but fake goods definitely fall under the dupe umbrella."
Phillipe Lopez/AFP via Getty Images

More retailers turn to discounts to lure shoppers

May 17, 2023
Target, for example, warned investors of price promotions in the pipeline.
Retailers have increasingly been using discounts and promotions to encourage shoppers to keep spending.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

How brands like Birkenstock and Victoria's Secret stage a comeback

May 2, 2023
It takes more than trends and nostalgia to become popular a second or third time around. It can take years of hard work.
"How can we not sell, you know, mastectomy or maternity bras?" says Sarah Sylvester, executive vice president of marketing at Victoria's Secret. "Like, why would we turn any woman away for anything that she needs if we’re supposed to be the leader in bras?" Above, an underwear display from 2021.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

As vinyl record sales eclipse CDs, LP pressing plants are thriving

May 1, 2023
Streaming is still king, but vinyl sales continue to grow.
Sales of vinyl records by volume overtook CDs in 2022 for the first time since 1987. The resurgence of the format has meant a boom in vinyl manufacturing, but there have been bumps along the way.
Henry Epp/Marketplace

For public good, not for profit.

Latest round of layoffs at Gap Inc. reveal gaps in corporate strategy, analysts say

Apr 28, 2023
The company just announced it would cut 1,800 corporate jobs, in addition to 500 it eliminated last fall.
Gap’s interim CEO said in a statement that recent corporate layoffs are part of a strategy to simplify its operations.
Allison Dinner/Getty Images

What might happen to all that retail space Bed Bath & Beyond may soon abandon?

Apr 24, 2023
There may be more demand for the suburban real estate than there was for sheets and towels.
Bed Bath & Beyond is slated to begin shuttering nearly 360 storefronts across the country, and some landlords may use the opportunity to raise storefront rents.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Here’s why you can’t find 5-pound sugar bags anymore

Apr 24, 2023
The classic pantry staple can tell us a lot about competition in the grocery space and U.S. sugar policy.
Shed a tear for the 5-pound bag of sugar and make room for its lighter sibling.
Janet Nguyen/Marketplace