May 21 Watch 7:11 How the pandemic has pushed U.S. retail toward the brink of collapse By Paul Solman For more than two months, the toll of unemployment in the U.S. has grown each week. The retail sector, which was already struggling before the pandemic, is among the hardest hit, with stores closed or at reduced capacity and consumers… Continue watching
May 04 J.Crew files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as pandemic chokes retail By Associated Press More retail bankruptcies are expected in coming weeks with the doors of thousands of stores still locked. Continue reading
Apr 15 With commerce frozen, retail sales plunge unprecedented 8.7 percent By Associated Press The deterioration of sales far outpaces the previous record decline of 3.9% that took place during the depths of the Great Recession in November 2008. Continue reading
Mar 17 Panic buying leaves retailers scrambling to restock By Anne D'Innocenzio, Associated Press Grocers big and small are hiring more workers, paying overtime and limiting purchases on certain high demand items as they scramble to restock shelves that have been wiped out by panic shopping in response to the global viral pandemic. Continue reading
Oct 16 U.S. retail sales dip 0.3 percent in September By Martin Crutsinger, Associated Press Retail sales dropped in September by the largest amount in seven months, possibly signaling that rising trade tensions and turbulent markets are having an impact on consumer spending. Continue reading
Apr 23 Coming to store shelves: cameras that guess your age and gender By Joseph Pisani, Associated Press Eyeing that can of soda in the supermarket cooler? Or maybe you're craving a pint of ice cream? A camera could be watching you. Continue reading
Oct 15 Watch 6:33 The fall of a retail icon: why Americans stopped shopping at Sears The once formidable retail giant Sears files for bankruptcy protection. The company, which also owns Kmart, will continue to operate as executives try to reverse a downward spiral exacerbated by e-commerce. John Yang examines the company’s storied legacy and tumultuous… Continue watching
Aug 24 Watch 8:49 How retailers are banking on options and experiences to draw in shoppers By PBS News Hour Is traditional retail dead? There have been more store closings this year than any since the Great Recession, with retailers filing for bankruptcy at a record pace. And yet online retailers like Amazon and Warby Parker are adding brick-and-mortar stores. Continue watching
Aug 17 Watch 9:52 Can online shopping absorb traditional retail workers? By PBS News Hour The growth of e-commerce continues to wreak havoc on traditional retail and its workforce, with 5,300 store closings announced in the first half of 2017 and 64,000 job cuts expected. What will become of the 16 million Americans who work… Continue watching
May 17 Were you laid off from your retail job? The PBS NewsHour wants to hear from you By Diane Lincoln Estes We want to hear from retail workers who have been affected by a "retail apocalypse."… Continue reading