Retail recovery has its winners and its losers

Like a game of musical chairs, retailers have been vying for shoppers’ dollars through the recession in an effort to stay in play, and the business media have been keeping close tabs on who gets the seats.

Now, as many retailers are releasing better-than-expected earnings reports this quarter, it’s more clear who the winners and losers of the economic shake up will be.

Business journalists, well aware that the recession has been a turning point for retailers, are noting which companies have strengthened business, which have been forced into bankruptcy or closure and which are struggling to keep their seat.

As shopping revives, business journalists should help readers understand what it means for the retailers in their areas. What is the aftermath of the recession? What business practices are different and which have held true? Are shoppers habits different now compared to spending before the recession?

The New York Times (Wall Street Rallies Late on Retail Sales), The Washington Post (Department store sales comparisons for February)and The L.A. Times (Retail sales show strongest gain since before the recession) are giving the broad picture of the rebounding industry plenty of coverage. But local papers are can tune into the picture for their coverage areas.

While many smaller and mid-size papers have been pulling retail news from the wires, others have been delving into their own regional stories. For example The Birmingham Business Journal has a nice piece today on how retailers are expecting to “see more green this St. Patrick’s Day.”