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—
GOOD COMPANY » THE LEAP

How Pandora Is Supporting Small Business Marketing Efforts

The music and podcast streaming platform is promoting its ‘audio everywhere’ strategy as a way for local businesses to adjust their ad messages to a changing world.

GOOD COMPANY » THE LEAP

How Mattel and Walmart Pivoted to Boost Sales During COVID-19

Walmart’s ‘essential’ retail status, curbside delivery and ship-from-store service, let parents order toys along with groceries.

GOOD COMPANY » LAUNCH PAD

Big Brands Explain Consumers' Demand for Comfort and Safety

Consumers are seeking out trusted brands, rewarding companies that understand their needs now — like stuffed animals donning masks, said executives from Kellogg’s and Family Dollar to Random House.

GOOD COMPANY » THE LEAP

Target CEO: How Protests & COVID-19 Are Changing Retail

Brian Cornell says the nation’s eighth largest retailer — and the entire industry — must drive change and say ‘enough’ to racial injustice.

GOOD COMPANY » LAUNCH PAD

How 3 Startups Are Altering the Traditional Wedding Industry

The $75 billion wedding industry was ripe for disruption before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Innovators Anomalie, Bloomerent and Manly Bands are betting there’s still ample opportunity to do just that.

GOOD COMPANY » THE LEAP

Yahoo's Business Maker Sees Spike Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Yahoo launched its Business Maker platform last fall and has seen demand for new websites surge.

GOOD COMPANY » LAUNCH PAD

Kraft Heinz's Venture Fund Invests in New Food Technologies

Robot-powered micro-fulfillment centers that will revolutionize grocery delivery, lab-grown cheese and cashierless checkout are among the startups the food giant’s Evolv Ventures arm is betting on.

GOOD COMPANY » THE LEAP

Interview With Lyft's Chief Strategy Officer on Innovating Post-Coronavirus

Raj Kapoor shares insights on creating a rapid-response corporate culture, and reveals how his personal experience with COVID-19 led to the creation of a site to aid clinical trials.

GOOD COMPANY » LAUNCH PAD

Macy's, Verizon, and Ulta Beauty Implement Safe Reopenings

How three major retail chains are reopening their stores and reconnecting with customers — at a social distance.

GOOD COMPANY » THE LEAP

Entertainment Company Main Event Pivots Its Business Virtually

How the Dallas-based entertainment company generated a wealth of good will, and learned new ways of connecting with customers through Instagram Live events and celebrity shoutouts.