Joan Verdon

CONTRIBUTOR

About Joan

Joan Verdon has been covering business and retail news for the past 25 years. She has covered trends in tech, manufacturing, real estate and retail, first for The Record of North Jersey and USA Today, and now for CO—. She is a senior contributor, retail, for Forbes.com. Her passion is reporting on how Americans buy and sell. She has covered the birth of billion-dollar companies and the evolution of 100-year-old brands. Previously, she has been an education, general assignment and investigative reporter for The Grand Rapids Press and Buffalo Courier-Express. She spent a year working on Capitol Hill as an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow.

Latest—

Future Shop: Retail Innovations That Will Change How Consumers Spend in 2024 and Beyond

A look at tech ranging from scan-and-go checkout and AI-fueled digital ‘humanoid’ assistants to other breakthroughs that experts say will transform the customer experience.

This Black-Owned Startup Landed Walmart and Costco by Tapping Into the $400 Billion Breakfast Market

The founders of Blanket Pancakes & Syrup on how they leveraged their homemade recipes into a million-dollar brand.

How Meal Solutions Startup Hungryroot Is Using AI to Fuel Its Growth

The grocery delivery and meal planning company taps AI to know what its customers want to eat and buy.

How Holiday Spending Will Shape Retail in 2024

Consumers surprised retailers this holiday season with the strength of their spending and their willingness to use next-generation digital technology, like AI-shopping assistants, to make purchases.

Meta, Google, and Shopify Execs Share AI Sales Tools for 2024

AI-enhanced commerce exploded this holiday season, giving merchants new ways to sell and changing how consumers shop.

How Businesses Leverage Nostalgia to Win Over New Customers

Products and memories from the past are a powerful way to reach today’s young consumers.

How is Walmart Helping Small Businesses Scale

The giant retailer is expanding its Walmart Marketplace platform to attract more third-party sellers, which are helping to boost its online business.

How Verizon Business Is Fostering Opportunities for Hispanic SMBs

Chief Revenue Officer Aparna Khurjekar shares how the communication-tech giant is supporting one of the fastest-growing small business cohorts with education and grants.

How Retailer J. Jill Is Leveraging the 40-Plus Women’s Market

The clothing brand has expanded its sizes, created a premium collection, and added more work outfit options in response to customer feedback.

How Walmart Is Building a New Shopping Channel for Small Businesses

Walmart Business General Manager and SVP Ashley Hubka on the retailer’s plan to become a one-stop shop for business customers.