Anne D'Innocenzio

Target will no longer accept personal checks from shoppers as of July 15, another sign of how a once ubiquitous payment method is going the way of outmoded objects like floppy disks and the Rolodex.

Business |
Target will stop accepting personal checks next week. Are the days of the payment method numbered?

July 9, 2024 at 2:02 p.m.

Target will no longer accept personal checks from shoppers as of July 15, another sign of how a once ubiquitous payment method is going the way of outmoded objects like...

Some think the low-key landscape partially reflects a desire by some companies to move beyond one-month expressions of support toward more enduring acts of allyship, such as regularly featuring LGBTQ+-owned brands and models.

Retail |
Stores are more subdued in observing Pride Month. Some LGBTQ+ people see a silver lining in that.

June 17, 2024 at 7:35 a.m.

Some think the low-key landscape partially reflects a desire by some companies to move beyond one-month expressions of support toward more enduring acts of allyship, such as regularly featuring LGBTQ+-owned...

Like the lives of the people taking them, recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the U.S. health and fitness industries. They have proven successful in eliminating unwanted pounds more quickly and easily than consuming fewer and burning more calories alone.

Health |
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?

April 25, 2024 at 3:32 p.m.

Like the lives of the people taking them, recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the U.S. health and fitness industries. They have...

Many businesses have decided less is better, justifying their limited selection by asserting shoppers don't want so much choice. It's also more profitable for companies because they're not carrying over as many leftovers that need to be discounted.

Retail |
Less is more? Consumers have fewer choices as brands prune their offerings to focus on best sellers.

February 12, 2024 at 12:09 p.m.

Many businesses have decided less is better, justifying their limited selection by asserting shoppers don't want so much choice. It's also more profitable for companies because they're not carrying over...

The promise of self-checkout has meant that customers can avoid long lines by scanning and bagging their own items, workers can be freed of doing those monotonous tasks themselves and retailers can save on labor costs. But it has also meant customers griping about clunky technology, workers having to stand around and monitor both humans and machines, and retailers contending with theft. Now, self-checkout faces a reckoning of sorts just as retailers are in the midst of their busiest time of the year. This past fall, Walmart removed self-checkout kiosks in three stores in Albuquerque, New Mexico. To reduce wait times, Target is now limiting the number of items to 10 that shoppers can scan in a handful of stores nationwide.

Business |
Love it or hate it, self-checkout is here to stay. But it’s going through a reckoning.

December 18, 2023 at 9:13 a.m.

The promise of self-checkout has meant that customers can avoid long lines by scanning and bagging their own items, workers can be freed of doing those monotonous tasks themselves and...

Shoppers hunting for big deals packed malls on Black Friday as retailers stepped up discounts and other perks to lure customers weighed down by inflation and sticking to tighter budgets. Consumers are coming under pressure as their savings dwindle and their credit card debt grows. And although they have gotten some relief from easing inflation, many goods and services like meat and rent are still far higher than they were just three years ago. Malls including Macy's at Herald Square in Manhattan were packed with Black Friday discount hunters. The National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group, forecast that U.S. holiday sales will rise 3% to 4% for November through December, compared with 5.4% growth a year ago.

Business |
Retailers offer bigger Black Friday discounts to lure hesitant shoppers hunting for the best deals

November 25, 2023 at 12:11 a.m.

Shoppers hunting for big deals packed malls on Black Friday as retailers stepped up discounts and other perks to lure customers weighed down by inflation and sticking to tighter budgets....

Shoppers are looking beyond just the price tag of a skirt or a pair of pants in the wake of still stubbornly high inflation. Some are adopting a new calculation: how many times will they wear a piece of clothing to be able to justify the cost?

Retail |
Thinking of buying a new pair of jeans? Breaking down the cost over time might help you decide.

August 14, 2023 at 10:51 a.m.

Shoppers are looking beyond just the price tag of a skirt or a pair of pants in the wake of still stubbornly high inflation. Some are adopting a new calculation:...

Business |
Twitter logo may change from bird to ‘X’ as early as Monday, Elon Musk says

July 23, 2023 at 11:04 a.m.

Elon Musk said Sunday that he plans to change the logo of Twitter to an “X” from the bird, marking what would be the latest big change since he bought...

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