Kristin Schwab

Reporter

SHORT BIO

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.

Latest Stories (512)

It's returns season, and retailers are feeling it

Dec 27, 2023
The National Retail Federation says Americans returned $743 billion in merchandise so far this year.
SDI Productions/Getty Images

Angola is leaving OPEC. What does that mean for the cartel?

Dec 26, 2023
The split was Angola’s idea. What does it mean for OPEC — the group of oil-producing developing nations — and for the country?
Angola's oil production has been roughly halved since the early 2000s. Above, an oil production storage and offloading vessel off the coast of Angola.
Rodger Bosch/AFP via Getty Images

Restaurants outpacing grocery stores when it comes to inflation

Dec 25, 2023
Supermarkets and restaurants business relies on selling food. So why are prices rising more in the latter?
On average, labor costs eat up about 30% of a restaurant’s gross revenue.
Spiderplay/Getty Images

Can McDonald's latest venture satisfy consumers' thirst for specialty beverages?

Dec 20, 2023
The chain's new cafe concept, CosMc's, wants a sip of Starbucks' or Dunkin' Donuts' market share.
McDonald's recently launched CosMc's to compete with drink purveyors like Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

"Endless shrimp" and other deals can backfire on restaurants

Dec 1, 2023
If bargain hunters skimp on the add-ons, the business may have to eat a loss. For Red Lobster, it was $11 million last quarter.
Red Lobster had to eat a loss because its shrimp promotion was too big a bargain for diners.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Facing pushback and government scrutiny, ESG investing may be headed for change

Nov 30, 2023
Environmental, social and governance funds, once a bright light in investing, are confronting potential regulation and political heat.
Larry Fink, the CEO of giant asset manager BlackRock, has been an advocate of allowing environmental, social and governance values to influence investment choices.
Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for IRC

Concert films from artists like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé have a ripple effect

Nov 28, 2023
Movie theaters get a slice of profit from ticket sales, but many also capitalize on the moment with themed food, merchandise and more.
After more than a month, the Taylor Swift movie still consistently ranks in the top five for ticket sales, per Michael O’Leary at the National Association of Theatre Owners.
Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images

Malls aren't dead. They're in transition.

Nov 27, 2023
The most successful malls are going back to their roots as multipurpose destinations, instead of just retail centers.
The Southdale Center in Edina, Minnesota, opened in 1956 as a place where people could escape chilly winters and socialize without going downtown.
Simon.com via Wikimedia Commons

'Tis the season for sugary treats: What pays the bills for this creative cookie business

Maddie Gartmann of Garty Goodies enjoys sweet success with special event orders and cookie decorating classes.
There's an enthusiastic customer base for Maddie Gartmann's cookie decorating classes. "Luckily, that's what I enjoy doing the most," she says.
Courtesy Gartmann

Why Apple might make iMessage more Android-friendly

Nov 17, 2023
The software update will allow iPhone and Android users to message over wifi and share photos and videos more easily.
Other companies say that famous "blue text bubble" cache is anticompetitive.
akinbostanci/Getty Images