Retail
Retailers feel pressure to eat the price increases from tariffs
From Target to Walmart, retailers are fighting two battles at once: a financial battle to keep costs low in the face of new tariffs, and a political one to avoid the president's wrath.
Home Depot doesn’t plan to raise prices due to tariffs. But some items may disappear
The home improvement chain broke from many other retailers, who say they cannot afford to absorb new tariffs. President Trump recently attacked Walmart for warning of price hikes.
Dick’s Sporting Goods is buying Foot Locker for $2.4 billion
Together, the two retailers will have to wade the choppy waters of new tariffs on imports, including footwear. And they'll face the growing competition from shoe brands selling directly to shoppers.
What’s trending in the world of soap operas? Find out in the quiz
This week also saw a highly undramatic object cause drama and the happily undramatic return of the two NASA astronauts who had an unexpected stay on the International Space Station.
Forever 21 is bankrupt, again. This time actually could be forever
Once a formidable fast-fashion mall staple, Forever 21 has filed for bankruptcy. The retailer has been a shell of its former self since it first filed for bankruptcy in 2019.
Canada’s Hudson’s Bay has survived 355 years. Now the store is in crisis
The department store chain, founded in 1670, can't pay its debts and says the pandemic, inflation and now trade tensions have hurt its financial future.
Alabama Amazon Workers Reject Union, But Organizers Say The Fight Isn’t Over
The union accused Amazon of illegal anti-union tactics and will challenge the results.
What Labor Wins And Losses In The South Can Tell Us About the Amazon Union Vote
The unionization effort at the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Ala. may seem like a once-in-a-lifetime chance for a big union win in the South. Yet union organizers had a nearly-identical opportunity just four years ago in Mississippi.
Restaurants Are Hardest Hit As Businesses Try To Rebound From Pandemic
Some restaurants in Birmingham are working to regain a loss in revenue after forced closures during the pandemic. Meanwhile, other restaurants like Babalu and Lucy's Coffee & Tea weren't so lucky - closing their doors indefinitely.
Galleria Mall Shooter Could be at Large
Hoover police issued a statement Friday night indicating the shooter who injured two people at the Riverchase Galleria mall in a shooting Thanksgiving night could be at large. Police shot and killed a 21-year-old Hueytown man who police say fled the scene of the shooting, but wasn't likely the one who fired shots injuring two people at the mall on that busy shopping night.
WBHM Politics: When Retailers Close, Taxes Go Too
When a big-box store closes in a smaller community, that drop in tax revenue can be a big hit to the town. That's a situation Fairfield and Irondale are working through.
How the Shipt-Target Deal Could Affect Birmingham
Target wants in on the same-day delivery business. And last week it announced it’s spending $550 million to buy the Birmingham-based startup, Shipt. The deal could have ripple effects for Birmingham.
As Irma Swirls Toward Florida, Alabama Prepares
Alabama appears to be outside of the path of Hurricane Irma, the deadly storm swirling 145-mile-per-hour winds over the Caribbean. But on Wednesday officials with the state Emergency Management Agency said they are preparing for the worst.
Still in Vacation Mode? Tax Holiday Aims to Snap You Out of It
Alabama’s back-to-school sales tax holiday takes place from July 21 - 23. It’s a chance to get folders and highlighters and a lot of clothing tax-free. If it seems awfully early, it’s because it is.
The Next Wave of Downtown Birmingham Development
Birmingham Business Journal editor Ty West discusses buildings that could potentially form a new wave of redevelopment in downtown.
Price of Poverty: Involuntary Flextime
If a job offers flextime, that's a good thing right? You can take off to make that doctor's appointment or catch your kid's soccer game. But in many low-wage jobs - particularly retail or hourly jobs - workers there face what could be called involuntary flextime. Schedules are posted only a few days in advance. Shifts may change. Work is unpredictable. That makes arranging childcare, taking classes or working a second job very difficult.
