Despite charging shoppers an annual membership fee, Costco continues to attract some of the most loyal customers in retail, and not just in the U.S. Many consumers willingly pay the fee because the warehouse club consistently delivers a combination that competitors struggle to match: well-known brands, reliable quality, and value pricing. That strategy has helped
During my career reporting on mortgage rates and home buying and selling trends, I have often paid close attention to real estate technology company Zillow’s published research that often includes making housing market predictions. Zillow jumped on the occasion of the unfortunate March 6 jobs report to issue such a forecast. “Total nonfarm payroll employment
President Trump said this week the war with Iran was basically done. Oil prices fell quickly on the statement news. In fact, futures trading of Light Sweet crude oil, the benchmark U.S. crude oil, has seen the price fall nearly 12% from March 6 and nearly 33% its peak on March 9. But did you
For decades, Disney, NBC, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery sat at the top of the advertising world. In 2025, a 21-year-old video platform built on cat videos and bedroom creators officially knocked them off. YouTube’s total revenue across ads and subscriptions exceeded $60 billion in 2025, according to Alphabet’s official earnings release, making it larger
Occidental Petroleum (OXY) did not need company-specific news to move on March 10. It just needed oil to reverse hard. After crude’s sharp run higher, the energy trade snapped back, and OXY closed at $53.12, down 2.99% on the day. The stock also traded at a relative volume of 1.88, showing investors were paying closer
As the rising costs of operations continue to squeeze cash flow even with strong visitor numbers, a number of small and mid-size hotel and short-term rental platform operators have filed for bankruptcy in the last six months. In September 2025, the company behind hotels such as The Tuscany and Hotel 27 abruptly shut down, leaving
The fear of losing legacy brands is increasingly becoming a reality as even well-known retailers struggle to adapt to shifting consumer preferences, rising operating costs, e-commerce growth, and intensifying competition. Many longstanding companies that once dominated shopping malls are now suffering mass closures or disappearing entirely, proving that nostalgia and decades of brand history are
Ross Stores is benefiting from a growing consumer trend, unlike some of its competitors in the retail landscape. The off-price retailer is seeing heightened demand in stores, as economic uncertainty pressures the wallets of consumers nationwide. To capitalize on increased consumer momentum, the company’s CEO is weighing a risky in-store change that shoppers may not
Dick’s Sporting Goods is hitting its stride. In an industry that’s had some major strike outs recently — TheStreet has covered closures at Big 5 Sporting Goods and Sportsman’s Warehouse in the past several weeks — Dick’s is batting .400. According to new data from Placer.ai, foot traffic visits to the retailer have grown by
Silver was doing everything right just days ago. After clawing back from a brutal January crash and staging a double-digit recovery through February, the metal was trading above $95 as recently as March 2. Then it fell off a cliff again, sliding nearly 10% in 48 hours and leaving investors wondering all over again what