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Amazon desperately seeks seasonal workers while other retailers hold back

Sep 20, 2023
That could mean that holiday hiring will be slower this season, says Andy Challenger of Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Retailers are still figuring out how to staff warehouses and stores as consumers switch between shopping in person and online and using curbside pickup, says analyst Jessica Ramírez.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Walmart’s store closures in Chicago highlight the challenges of urban big box retail

Apr 13, 2023
Walmart says that, collectively, its Chicago stores aren’t profitable. But academics point out they’ll still leave a hole when they’re gone.
A worker collects shopping carts at a Walmart store in Chicago. The company announced the closure of half of its stores in the city this week.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Restaurant, retail recoveries diverge in downtown Boston

Apr 10, 2023
Downtown Boston has more restaurants and bars now than it did before the pandemic. Retail stores, meanwhile, are still struggling.
There are about twice as many retail vacancies in downtown Boston now as there were before the pandemic started, says Michael Nichols, president of the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District.
Samantha Fields/Marketplace

Reverse stock splits explained through a battle against bankruptcy

Mar 22, 2023
Bed Bath & Beyond is seeking a reverse split, a sign that a company is not confident that its stock will rise on its own, one expert says.
If Bed Bath & Beyond's stock falls under a dollar for an extended time, it risks delisting from Nasdaq.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Two booksellers searching for used books and a storefront

Aug 10, 2022
"We actually love the physical retail experience," says Chris Capizzi, who co-owns A Good Used Book with his wife, Jenny Yang.
Jenny Yang, left, and Chris Capizzi are co-owners of A Good Used Book.
Courtesy Dale Samson

Paying more for plus-size clothes? Experts poke holes in the policy

Jun 2, 2022
Retailers are emerging from a tough period. Embracing inclusive sizes at the same price is one way to reach more women.
Sixty-eight percent of American women wear a size 14 or larger, according to a 2016 estimate.
MesquitaFMS/Getty Images

How are consumers feeling about the economy?

Jul 30, 2021
There have been signs of robust economic growth, but consumer concerns are rising ... along with the surge of the Delta variant of COVID-19.
Some economists worry that the latest COVID-19 delta variant surge will make shoppers pull back again.
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

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Manufacturing delays mean retailers may consider raising prices

Jun 3, 2021
While delays and shortages could be just short-term disruptions, tariffs, which also push up prices, are expected to remain.
When manufacturers charge more for finished products, retailers also look at raising prices for consumers.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Retailers try to hire tens of thousands of workers

Apr 14, 2021
One way retailers and restaurants can attract workers is to offer higher pay, though that's easier for larger businesses.
IHOP, as well as other restaurants and retailers, is hiring people to meet an expected increase in customer demand.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Full retail recovery hinges on women getting back to work

Mar 5, 2021
Whether or not women recover economically from this pandemic is everybody’s problem.
More than half of the jobs lost during the pandemic have been lost by women.
Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images