appears in the following:
The challenges for Amazon sellers
Sunday, October 08, 2023
The FTC and 17 states have accused Amazon of using tactics to maintain a monopoly. Independent vendors who do business selling products on Amazon face serious challenges to compete on the platform.
The U.S. government files an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
In a monopoly lawsuit, the Federal Trade Commission and 17 states accuse Amazon of suffocating rivals and raising costs for both sellers and shoppers.
U.S. sues Amazon in a monopoly case that could be existential for the retail giant
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
The Federal Trade Commission and 17 states accuse Amazon of suffocating rivals and raising costs for both sellers and shoppers.
Grocery delivery app Instacart goes public
Tuesday, September 19, 2023
Instacart is going public with actual profit to show for itself. But a lot of it has to do with the company's growing foray into digital advertising, not the basics of its operations.
Preparing homes for wildfires is big business that's only getting started
Friday, September 15, 2023
Climate change, technological leaps, panicked insurers, the shifting sense of responsibility: All are powering the still-nascent, but fast-growing industry of preparing homes for wildfires.
'Oldest start-up on earth': Birkenstock's IPO filing is exactly as you'd expect
Wednesday, September 13, 2023
"We are serving a primal need of all human beings," Birkenstock's CEO writes to prospective shareholders. "We are a footbed company selling the experience of walking as intended by nature."
Twinkies are sold — J.M. Smucker scoops up Hostess Brands for $5.6 billion
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
Hostess, the maker of snacks such as Twinkies and HoHos, is being sold to J.M. Smucker in a cash-and-stock deal worth nearly $6 billion. (Story aired on All Things Considered on Sept. 11, 2023.)
Twinkies are sold! J.M. Smucker scoops up Hostess Brands for $5.6 billion
Monday, September 11, 2023
For Hostess, the deal with the peanut-butter-and-jelly conglomerate is a sweet win after not one, but two bankruptcies.
The new business of wildfire preparedness could grow to be massive
Thursday, September 07, 2023
Wildfires are a worsening danger — and a big business opportunity. From high-tech alarms to home retrofits, the industry around preparedness is nascent, fairly small, barely regulated, growing fast.
How Americans are spending money
Sunday, August 27, 2023
Back-to-school spending reached another record this year, while other spending is giving some indications of how Americans feel about the economy.
Bud Light boycott takes fizz out of brewer's earnings
Thursday, August 03, 2023
The company lost big sales in the U.S. after the boycotts over its collaboration with a transgender influencer. CEO says things have now stabilized "with signals of improvement" for the brand.
Overstock.com is revamping using Bed Bath & Beyond's name
Tuesday, August 01, 2023
Overstock bought Bed Bath & Beyond's intellectual property in bankruptcy court. Overstock CEO Jonathan Johnson said the company wanted Bed Bath & Beyond's name recognition.
Bed Bath & Beyond is back from the dead with Overstock.com relaunch
Tuesday, August 01, 2023
Online discount retailer Overstock.com has become Bed Bath & Beyond after buying the bankrupt home-goods brand. But don't expect brick-and-mortar stores to reopen or big blue coupons in the mail.
What recession? It's a summer of splurging, profits and girl power
Saturday, July 29, 2023
Economic data show higher prices and constant warnings of a downturn haven't slowed down American shoppers. The Fed is anxious. Companies are thrilled.
American companies report surprisingly high spending from shoppers despite inflation
Friday, July 28, 2023
Recession? What recession? The Fed is still cautious, but big brands — Kimberly-Clark, Hilton, Visa, Chipotle, Coca-Cola — are singing praises to shoppers who seem un-swayed by their higher prices.
FTC and Justice Department double down on strategy to go after corporate monopolies
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
New guidelines from the FTC and Justice Department are part of a broader push to promote competition and limit what the White House sees as excessive consolidation.
REI fostered a progressive reputation. Then its workers began to unionize
Thursday, July 06, 2023
REI, the shopping mecca for outdoor enthusiasts, has balked at recognizing its newly unionized workers. They accuse the retailer of breaking labor laws, which the company denies.
REI workers face protracted union fight
Wednesday, July 05, 2023
Despite its reputation as a progressive employer, REI has balked at recognizing its newly unionized workers.
Should brands take positions on social or political issues?
Wednesday, June 28, 2023
Big brands have become the most visible battlefields for America's culture wars. Boardrooms are recosindering risks of LGBTQ messaging and other issues.
The FTC sues Amazon over hard-to-cancel Prime memberships
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
Federal regulators have sued Amazon, alleging that the company for years "tricked" people into buying Prime memberships that were purposefully hard to cancel.