Economy

Economy
Economy

Disney shuts down online store in major retail pullback

The Walt Disney Company is pulling back from another part of its business, marking a significant change for customers in several markets. The move follows years of changes to Disney’s retail footprint, including the closure of hundreds of physical stores and a greater emphasis on other ways of selling its merchandise. Now, another piece of

Read More
Economy

Closing 350 stores didn’t save this iconic mall chain from itself

Few retail chains that filled malls in the 1980s and 1990s still exist today. Teenage me could have shopped at Chess King for shiny shirts, visited Gadzooks for baggy pants, or gone a little classier and purchased dressier clothes at Structure. All of those chains were fairly, if not very, popular for a minute, and

Read More
Economy

39-year-old major bullet manufacturer files Chapter 11 bankruptcy

The firearms industry, including rifle, handgun, and ammunition manufacturers and retailers, have faced financial distress in 2026 that has led to bankruptcy filings. Filings come as the industry has experienced declining sales over the last two years which have been major problem for companies trying to stay afloat. Key firearms bullet manufacturer files for Chapter

Read More
Economy

Lululemon makes big cuts to one kind of store

Lululemon is having a rough year, and it just got worse. Shares of the athletic apparel maker dropped sharply after the company posted weak second-quarter results and lowered its outlook for the rest of 2026.  But buried inside the numbers is a smaller story that says a lot about where Lululemon (LULU) thinks its business

Read More
Economy

After 130 closures, seafood chain now has just 13 restaurants

Getting affordable crab, shrimp, lobster, and other seafood outside of New England used to be a challenge. In New England, at least in the summer, while crab wasn’t common, a twin lobster dinner for under $30 was not uncommon, especially at low-frills “lobster-in-the-rough” places. Once I left that area, however, getting an affordable meal became

Read More
Economy

Five Below wins over shoppers with major strategy shift

Low prices alone are no longer enough to guarantee success in discount retail. Chains also have to give shoppers a reason to keep coming back, whether that means new products, viral merchandise, rewards, or making in-store shopping easier. Five Below has spent the past year changing all three. Now its latest results suggest shoppers are

Read More
Economy

Costco kills member perk that saved customers money

Costco usually makes its decisions with members in mind. That’s especially important because membership fees account for a huge share of the company’s profit. “Costco’s membership fees contributed some 72% to its operating income last year,” according to Retail Dive. That makes gaining and retaining members pretty important, if not the most important, business metrics

Read More
Economy

T-Mobile adds hidden phone plan for customers after price hikes

T-Mobile is quietly offering a new low-priced phone plan after it recently frustrated customers with a series of price increases and discount changes.  For instance, earlier this year, the carrier raised a monthly billing fee and doubled the rate customers pay to make calls while traveling outside the U.S. By June, T-Mobile had discontinued several

Read More
Economy

Lowe’s launches plan to create 1 million high-paying jobs

While artificial intelligence (AI) might be able to write a bad version of this article at a much lower price than what a human writer charges, the technology has its limitations. “AI, without question, is changing work,” Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison told The Wall Street Journal. “But somebody will still be required to crawl under

Read More
Economy

Kroger, Publix, and regional grocery chains face pricing problem

Americans have become value-driven when it comes to what goes into their shopping carts at grocery chains. “Consumers aren’t necessarily buying less. They’re becoming more strategic. With 75% indicating that they’re stressed about grocery bills (up from 73% last year), it makes sense that shoppers are looking for ways to maximize value from every trip,”

Read More