retail

Grocery Prices Have Been Falling. Did You Notice?

8:16am September 06, 2017

by Alina Selyukh

For 19 months in a row, food prices in America's supermarkets fell compared to a year earlier. This is good news for shoppers but has weighed on the grocery industry and the people who grow our food.

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Alfred Angelo filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy after closing dozens of its stories, leaving brides and bridesmaids struggling to get dresses they've paid for. This file photo shows dresses from the company's 2010 season.

National

Brides Scramble For Dresses And Information After Alfred Angelo Stores Close Abruptly

4:52pm July 15, 2017

by Bill Chappell

The lawyer handling the bankruptcy case says she has received more than 7,000 emails from customers. Former brides are offering free dresses and tips — such as the phone numbers of seamstresses.

A prototype Moby Mart is being tested in Shanghai. Per Cromwell, the project's lead designer, says four to six additional mobile supermarkets are planned in the coming year.

Economy

Too Convenient? A Mobile Supermarket That Comes To You

5:46pm July 05, 2017

by Glenn McDonald

The Moby Mart concept is being tested in China. A 7-Eleven meets driverless tractor-trailer, the store could be summoned by an app and staffed by a holographic clerk. Are we entering WALL-E world?

Retraining generally isn't a top priority in the retail sector, analysts say. But Wal-Mart trains about a quarter-million of its employees a year in more advanced skills.

As Store Layoffs Mount, Retail Lags Other Sectors In Retraining Workers

10:00am May 23, 2017

by Yuki Noguchi

Many retail workers are losing their jobs amid major technological shifts. And while some industries invest to retrain their workers with new skills, retail largely hasn't succeeded in doing that.

Carla and Jeremy Lang push their twin 18-month-old sons in a stroller while looking at ovens and stoves at a Sears northwest of Chicago.

Its Survival In Doubt, Sears Struggles To Transform Once Again

11:39am April 18, 2017

by Cheryl Corley

More than a century ago, Sears was the Amazon of its time — a dominant name in retail. Sears has been in a long and painful decline, but executives say they have a plan to turn the company around.

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Sears, once the monolith of American retail, says that there is "substantial doubt" that it will be able to keep its doors open. Company shares tumbled more than 12 percent Wednesday. Above, the department store's location in Brooklyn's Flatbush neighborh

Can Sears Survive? Maybe Not, Company Admits In Financial Filings

5:40pm March 22, 2017

by Laurel Wamsley

Shares of the company's stock tumbled 12 percent today after the company acknowledged Tuesday that its future viability is not a sure thing. The company lost $2 billion last year.

Economy

High Point's Oak Hollow Mall Closes Up Shop

7:00am March 10, 2017

by Paul Garber

High Point's Oak Hollow Mall is closing Friday after years of decline.

Economy

Online Shopping And The Retreat Of Retail Stores

2:35pm January 11, 2017

by David Ford

In the weeks following the crucial holiday shopping season, Macy's, Sears, and The Limited are among the many national retail outlets that have all announced store closures in recent days, includin

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Carolina Curious: Why Are There So Many Mattress Stores?

6:00am December 21, 2016

by Eddie Garcia

Since our series Carolina Curious began, we've received a wide range of questions.

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As of Monday, Costco customers have to ditch their old Costco credit cards and switch to new ones to pay for those jumbo-sized items in their shopping carts.

The Big Costco Credit Card Switcheroo

5:28pm June 20, 2016

by Chris Arnold

As of Monday, Costco has officially moved on from its 16-year relationship with American Express and is now partnered with Visa.