Running a mall is "still a struggle" nearly a year into the pandemic

Feb 26, 2021
When a customer refuses to wear a mask inside the Butte Plaza Mall, manager Alana Ferko gets called in to help.
Gil Cohen-Magen/Getty Images

Grocery shoppers are faster and more focused during the pandemic

Jan 5, 2021
Stores and manufacturers are slimming down product selection in response to shopper behavior.
Grocery shopping has become a get-in, get-out mission during COVID-19.
Karen Ducey/Getty Images

Will the relief package boost consumer spending in 2021?

Dec 31, 2020
Ultimately, this money is a bridge until the virus is under control.
Women carry shopping bags while walking in Georgetown on Dec. 23, 2020, in Washington, D.C.
Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images

Consumer spending and personal income fell. That's bad news for the economy

Dec 23, 2020
With stimulus checks long gone and unemployment benefits running out, many consumers are less willing to spend.
Shoppers wearing protective masks are seen at Hudson Yards on Nov. 27, 2020, in New York.
Jeenah Moon/Getty Images

Business economists predict tough winter before 2021 rebound

Dec 7, 2020
Economists expect moderate GDP growth in the fourth quarter, after a fall where consumer spending gave some businesses a boost.
A new survey from the National Association for Business Economists predicts just moderate economic growth in the last quarter of 2020.
Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images

Can U.S. businesses count on Chinese consumers?

Dec 1, 2020
Many American firms are looking to Chinese consumers to keep them afloat, but many of those consumers are trying to keep themselves afloat.
A U.S. startup company hopes Chinese consumers will buy its plant-based egg product. For some, though, cost is a factor.
Courtesy of Eat Just

Online shopping uptick expected to continue for holidays

Nov 26, 2020
But the uncertainty of this holiday season could give small, local businesses an edge if they offer last-minute shopping options.
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Winter is coming for home improvement retailers

Nov 18, 2020
As people spend less time outdoors, will they keep shopping at places like Home Depot and Lowe's?
A shopper pushes her cart while people wait in line to enter a Home Depot in Marina del Rey, California, earlier this year.
Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images

What happens to consumer spending next in the stop-and-go COVID-19 economy?

Nov 5, 2020
It doesn't look good, considering the pandemic is still raging and there's no additional federal relief yet.
A man waits for his lunch order at relatively empty Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles in June.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

Older consumers may be less inclined to go out and spend as the pandemic continues

Oct 28, 2020
Though rising stock and home values have helped older workers and retirees, they have less time to make up for financial losses.
Older Americans are also more leery of going out in the pandemic to shop at the mall, go to the gym or take a trip, according to data from research firm Morning Consult.
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