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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—

How Stitch Fix Is Optimizing Its Human Stylists in the Age of AI
The online apparel subscription service is spotlighting the benefits of human stylists while giving them powerful AI tools to help them do their jobs.
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How Small Businesses Can Leverage Amazon Prime Day (Even If They Don’t Sell on Amazon) All Summer Long
Small businesses can learn from Amazon and use the same strategies the e-commerce giant employs to drive sales even if they don't sell on Amazon.
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Vintage Furniture Marketplace Chairish Benefits From Trends and Tariff-Free Goods
The online marketplace for pre-owned furniture and home décor is well-positioned for growth, thanks to demand for vintage finds and sustainability, and access to tariff-free merchandise.
READ

The Profitability of Play: How Fun and Games for Adults Are Driving Growth for Brands
Businesses ranging from entertainment and hospitality to toys are leveraging the spending power of this key consumer group.
READ

How Camera Reseller KEH Is Thriving in the New Age of Re-commerce
KEH Camera has evolved over the decades from print catalogs to e-commerce and is poised to leverage key trends for future growth.
READ

How Tech and Brand Adoption Are Driving Secondhand Retail Boom
The consumer appetite for pre-owned goods continues to accelerate, and new technologies that make it easier to sell and buy secondhand are fueling sales.
READ

How Iconic Kid’s Brand Carter’s Is Connecting With Gen Z Parents by Leaning into Fashion and Style
Carter’s Chief Creative and Growth Officer shares how the 160-year-old company is staying nimble to respond to a constantly changing customer base.
READ

5 Consumer Trends Shaping Spending Patterns in 2025
Businesses need to give wary consumers a reason to shop, and research shows they are responding to deals, convenience, personalized suggestions, and promotions.
READ

How Sweet It Is: IT'SUGAR CEO on the Company's 'Sugartainment'-Geared Growth Trajectory
The candy chain has built a sweets empire of 120 stores by using experiential retail to feed America's taste for treats.
READ

How Ty Inc. Is Taking Its Beanie Babies Brand to New Heights Amid the Appeal of (Low-Tech) Nostalgia
The plush toy manufacturer has put a new spin on a previous hit and is using its signature growth strategies to promote and sell it.
READ