On layaways and holidays
 It was a concept born during the Great Depression to allow shoppers a chance at items they couldn't otherwise afford, and it remained popular for years. The past few decades, however, led it on an apparent downward popularity spiral. ...

I survived the business reporter Olympics
  In any given career there are events that test your abilities, try your endurance and lead you to lose a bit of sleep. For teachers, it might be standardized test time while, for accountants, I assume, it's tax ...

#vtxshop - Keeping Tabs on Black Friday Tweets
 As many people wrap up leftovers, bid their families adieu and settle into Thursday evening's turkey-induced hangover, there's another subsection out there just getting started. These are the people poring over newspaper ads, mapping out strategies and bundling up ...

Be mean. It's good for your credit.
 It's true. At least, according to a Time article released Monday. The article, which cites a soon-to-be-published issue of the Journal of Applied Psychology, says that grouchy, disagreeable and otherwise *insert chosen adjective here* people tend to have higher ...

Because really, who needs sleep when there's shopping to do?
 Commercials depicting packed Thanksgiving dinner tables have already found their way to the airwaves and Christmas ornaments and garland sit among store displays. Other commercials remind seasonal shoppers that layaway is, in fact, available. Yes, to anyone with eyes ...

Economic growth for 2011? Not so fast.
 No one holds the crystal ball, and no one knows for certain what the future holds, but it appears the business community is scaling back its expectations for the 2011 economy. A Wall Street Journal article released Monday shows ...

The Costume Conundrum
Enter nearly any retail store and the fact hits you square in the face: Halloween is almost here. And, while it means some are stocking up on candy and still others are gathering ghoulish decor, the upcoming holiday also means ...

The Corporate America Opt Out
 A recent law school grad lands a corporate job in Philly. With said job comes benefits, decent pay and the fast track to become partner. Enter: the economic recession. The grad isn't laid off and the company doesn't fire ...

Tricky treating
 As I wrote up yesterday's blog asking for help on a "business of Halloween" story, visions of my own childhood Halloweens came to mind. There was the year I'd known for weeks I wanted to go as a cheerleader, ...

Halloween: it's not just for kids anymore
 I'll always remember the years I spent trick-or-treating in my Central Indiana neighborhood. Helping pick out candy to hand out, putting the finishing touches on my costume, digging the pumpkin-shaped buckets out of boxes in the garage and so ...