Latest from Aaron Schrank

• Nov 9, 2017

  Food halls: the ritzier, foodier cousin of the suburban mall food court

  

  Food halls are proliferating in cities big and small.

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• Nov 9, 2017

  Will ordering less inventory help department stores this holiday season?

  The holiday season is approaching, and there are reports that department stores, including Kohl’s, Macy’s and Nordstrom are ordering less inventory. After a year of declining sales and foot traffic, these retailers don’t want piles of unsold stock eating into their profits. But are they risking empty shelves and disappointed shoppers? Click the audio player […]

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• Nov 7, 2017

  Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warns of longer-term car loan risk

  There’s been a big increase in the number of long-term car loans purchased by U.S. drivers in recent years, according to a recent report by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Longer-term loans mean smaller monthly payments for borrowers, but they also mean more risk.  Click the audio player above to hear the full story. 

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• Nov 3, 2017

  How “Brand America” is perceived as Trump travels to Asia

  President Donald Trump leaves today on an 11-day trip to Asia, by way of Hawaii. It will be his longest foreign trip as president and the longest visit to the region by any U.S. president in 25 years. The schedule includes stops in five countries and two international summits. Other Pacific leaders will get a […]

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• Nov 2, 2017

  Russia boosts soft power with energy investments

  Venezuela’s state-owned oil company must make a $1.2 billion payment to creditors tomorrow as it risks defaulting it’s debt. Russia’s state-owned oil company Rosneft has made billions of dollars in loans to cash-strapped Venezuela and is likely to step in again. This is part of a strategy for making energy investments in unstable countries where […]

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• Oct 31, 2017

  As Republicans get ready to reveal a tax plan, a look at how they might pay for it

  With all the focus on the Republican tax plan due out this week, we take a look at some of the ways they may pay for it: cuts to Medicaid and Medicare. The Republicans’ budget blueprint calls for funding reductions to both programs. What might that mean for low-income people and seniors who depend on […]

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• Oct 26, 2017

  Now Amazon wants to leave a package inside your house

  You’ve maybe noticed more packages piling up at people’s doorsteps as we buy more stuff from companies like Amazon. Now comes Amazon Key, a service that allows delivery people to open your front door and drop that package inside while you’re gone. Sounds sketchy, but it’s starting in 37 cities next month.  Click the audio […]

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• Oct 24, 2017

  Lord and Taylor HQ sale shows shifts in retail and work culture

  The country’s oldest luxury retailer, Lord & Taylor, said today that it’s selling its iconic Manhattan headquarters for $850 million. After Christmas next year, the building will become the headquarters for WeWork, a 7-year-old office space company. WeWork is valued at $20 billion, making it the fourth most valuable private U.S. startup — behind Airbnb, […]

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• Oct 23, 2017

  Hasbro will transform its own games and toys into films

  Toy giant Hasbro has partnered with Hollywood companies to produce films based on its brands like Transformers, G.I. Joe and Battleship. Now it wants to take that business in-house, and finance the movies itself. With toy retailers in trouble, including the recent bankruptcy filing of Toys R Us, movie profits look like a more attractive […]

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• Oct 19, 2017

  Are Amazon delivery lockers your apartment building’s next amenity?

  

  Amazon locker systems will be installed in apartment buildings across the U.S.

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