pandemic

Future of US shopping malls in jeopardy amid ongoing pandemic

Andrew M. Santos 4 weeks ago

NOVI, Mich. – No fewer than 20 nationally known retailers have recently filed for bankruptcy.

J. C. Penney, Nieman Marcus and Pier 1 Imports are just a few. Now the once vaunted shopping malls you often found these chains inside of are getting hit hard as well.

There are implications the tough financial crisis could have on shoppers across the country and in Metro Detroit.

Malls started right in Metro Detroit during the 1950s and 1960s. The Taubman company built many of them including Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi.

But the industry is shifting, changing and owners are struggling to get customers in the door and more than that keep the doors open.

Related: What’s shopping in a pandemic like? Drive to your local mall

Fairlane Town Center once owned by mall company Starwood just handed the keys over to the bank.

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“Its days as a super regional mall

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Salon survives, expands during pandemic

Andrew M. Santos 4 weeks ago

A beauty salon operated by young Black women in Gainesville is withstanding the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Studio Glam hairstylist Mynique Wheeler styles Skylar Davenport's hair during the grand re-opening at Studio Glam, a beauty salon offering a variety of services that is operated by licensed young Black women. It is located at 1109 NW 13th St.

Studio Glam, located at 1109 NW 13th St., hosted a grand re-opening on Saturday with guests, hair stylists, nail technicians and more as the business unveiled recent renovations to its facility.

Studio Glam co-founder Erica Phillips said the pandemic matured the young cosmetologists who range from ages 11-22.

“We wanted to expand because so many girls wanted to come in,” Phillips said. “The pandemic showed them creative ways to branch out in the beauty business.”

During the grand re-opening, cosmetologists offered services such as manicures, pedicures, facials, makeup, waxing, brow tinting, eyelash extensions, general hair styling and braiding.

Others were selling organic soaps, phone cases and clothes.

“I don’t want them to stay stagnant in the beauty industry,” Phillips said. “I wanted them to broaden their horizons in the industry.”

The beauty

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Shopping trends during the pandemic won’t be going away

Andrew M. Santos 4 weeks ago

KGW’s ‘What’s Next?’ series looks at the future of work, technology and innovation in a post-COVID world.

PORTLAND, Ore. — For those working from home, or who’ve been laid off and your industry has collapsed due to the coronavirus pandemic, what will the near-future look like for you, once things open up? We start our new series on KGW Sunrise called What’s Next? with a look at how the world of retail will be forced to adapt to the pandemic and the new shopping habits we’ve been forced to use.

Steve Brown is a Portland-based corporate consultant, innovation futurist with 31 years at Intel, and an author whose book “The Innovation Ultimatum” came out in 2020. We asked Brown to share some predictions for the future of retail. 

Fergus Nolan is a Portland-based business executive with 18 years as a senior director at Nike, now head of IT

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Will online shopping habits change after the pandemic?

Andrew M. Santos 4 weeks ago

The global e-commerce giant Amazon is set to report its fourth-quarter earnings Tuesday. The company has taken its growth to a whole new level during the pandemic since all of the lockdowns and brick-and-mortar store closures and restrictions have sent millions more American consumers shopping online.

What does it mean for this e-commerce juggernaut that vaccination is proceeding and economic reopening may be on the horizon?

Market research company eMarketer projects that Amazon sold nearly half a trillion dollars worth of stuff last year. That would be 37% more than the year before.

eMarketer analyst Andrew Lipsman said Amazon’s gained market share against its brick-and-mortar-bound competitors as consumers rushed to buy online.

“The big question about some of these habits people have adopted with e-commerce is, what carries forward? The biggest category is grocery, household essentials, where Amazon’s really well positioned,” Lipsman said, with its Prime service and extensive network

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