What happened to the Verizon ringback tone? As if Millennials needed another reminder of our own aging, Verizon has announced full discontinuation of ringback tones and ringtones. The iconic tones shaped so many of us who were coming of age in the early to mid 2000's. The decision: what song do I want to play … Continue reading Verizon Says Goodbye to Ringback and Ringtones
Is Stein Mart Bankrupt? Stein Mart, the storied chain that began in 1908 with a first location in Greenville, Mississippi by Russian Jewish immigrant Sam Stein, recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to the COVID-19 pandemic back on August 12, 2020. All 281 stores across 30 U.S. states will be liquidated. We will examine … Continue reading What Happened to Stein Mart? The Rise and Fall of the Department Store Chain
Mercari, the Japanese selling app started in February 2013, is an easy, fun and fast way to buy and sell goods. It's a well run app that is incredibly user friendly. However, like any other service, sometimes you need a little help to navigate any potential problems. How to Contact Mercari Mercari Customer Support: Best … Continue reading Mercari Support: How to Contact Mercari If You Have a Problem
I had a boss who was an expert in the garment industry and had spent the early part of his career immersed in the business of clothes. He used to drop into clothing stores in New York City for fun, just to observe how well they were managed. Were customers greeted promptly at the door? … Continue reading The Reopening Process is an Opportunity for Attentive Investors
Photo: BroStocks Media. I was doing my biweekly grocery pick up when I saw a rather striking site across the plaza, an empty Chuck E. Cheese's parking lot with big writing on the windows: $5 PIZZA. It was in that tacky writing you see on the back of a midsize SUV or minivan that says … Continue reading Adjusting to the New Reality: Chuck E. Cheese in the COVID-19 Era
Update: On April 7, 2020, NASDAQ halted trading of Luckin Coffee (LK) indefinitely.Update: On May 11, 2020, Luckin Coffee's Board fired CEO Jenny Qian Zhiya, and COO Jian Liu.Driven by a tech savvy strategy combined with efficiently laid out stores, Luckin Coffee went from a concept in late 2017 to having more store locations in … Continue reading What happened to Luckin Coffee? A big blow in its attempt to knock off Starbucks in China
Update: The building was demolished on February 17, 2021. The simple answer to the headline's question is Carl Icahn, the 84-year-old billionaire and supporter of President Donald Trump, the casino's namesake. That's the simple answer to this question, but the Trump era is a constant barrage of changing news stories, so much so, that the … Continue reading Who Owns the Trump Plaza Atlantic City and What is Going on With it Now?
In the 1980's, McDonald's was on its long quest of fast food domination and thriving at it. A few years back, I watched The Founder starring Michael Keaton as Ray Croc, the brains behind the rapid expansion of McDonald's. The film really puts into perspective how the chain changed American, and global, dining habits forever. … Continue reading What happened to McDonald’s pizza? A history of McDonald’s Pizza and our journey to the last location still selling it
To put it simply, the American retail icon Sears has had by all metrics a terrible decade. Their last profitable year was 2010. The store count has nearly vanished and the below chart from Business Insider is shocking, but not too surprising to see. They also spun off or sold their most valuable assets, the … Continue reading Sears at Christmas in 2019
We begin our series on fleeting retail where we will explore the transition of American commerce from places like malls to largely either online sales, discount retailers, or high end shopping. The middle American mall is fading and Credit Suisse estimated in 2017 that 20-25% of American malls will close by 2022. Columbia Mall, Bloomsburg, … Continue reading Dead Malls: Columbia Mall / Columbia Colonnade, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
