Justine Griffin/Tampa Bay Times – A sea of blue shirts swarmed inside the Best Buy store on Dale Mabry Highway early Saturday morning as more than 90 sales associates, shelf stockers, managers and Geek Squad agents were drilled in preparation for the store’s busiest day of the year: Black Friday. Best Buy employees studied maps […]
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Staying ahead of the home-sharing trend
Jeff Green & Jerry Hoffman/Hotel Business– Since its aggressive inception into the market six years ago, more than 35 million consumers have used home-sharing startup Airbnb as an alternative to a traditional hotel during their vacation or business travel. A report from Boston University reveals a 10 percent increase in Airbnb supply results in a 0.35 […]
Looking for a deal? You might want to skip the outlet mall
Debbie Carlson/Chicago Tribune- The fall shopping season is here, but where are the best deals — at the outlet mall or at a traditional store during a great sale? Generally, the answer is to be patient and wait for a sale, several shopping experts said. The biggest reason, they said, is that outlet stores overall […]
Americans are expected to spend $6.9 billion on Halloween this year
James Peltz / Los Angeles Times – Batman bib-and-booties costume for $14.99 caught the eye of Joanna Robles as she searched for something for her months-old son to wear while she holds him as she hands out candy on Halloween. “His dad is really obsessed with superheroes,” Robles said while strolling through a Spirit Halloween store […]
In Focus: Co-Working Spaces Shaping a New Generation of Emerging Urban Landscapes
Jeff Green and Jerry Hoffman / Area Development – A new, alternative workspace is emerging where freelancers, entrepreneurs, contract workers, and small businesses collaborate and create a business community — a space where professionals reserve a desk, room, or “hot seat” at a table without the fixed financial strings attached. It’s a cheaper office space […]
Retail trends: Denim is hot, ‘bro tanks’ are not
Krystina Gustafson / CNBC – Could shoppers finally give apparel retailers the break they so desperately need? There’s no denying that it’s been a rough slog for the clothing industry as consumers increasingly shift their spending from things to experiences, opt for lower-price fashions and refuse to purchase an item if it isn’t on sale. […]