Two Minute Tips

Retail & Food

What to cover in the beverage industry

People are drinking less soda and choosing less sugary alternatives. This new shift in American consumption has caused some headaches for big soda companies. Soda sales slipped for the twelfth

The swimming pool economy: Making a splash

Summer is coming. Although it’s only spring, swimming pool owners across the country are working to get their pools ready for the inevitable influx of swimmers. Whether it’s a super

girl browsing a bookstore

Covering the business of independent booksellers

With Amazon opening more physical bookstores and Barnes & Noble recently announcing a round of layoffs, how are smaller, independent bookstores staying open? It’s a tricky question to answer but easy

New story angles you’ll find at local coffee shops

Specialty coffee consumption continues to rise and nearly half of coffee consumed in 2017 (46 percent) was consumed out of the house, finds a report from the National Coffee Association

Covering the wacky world of pet services

Pets are big business. The American Pet Products Association estimates that U.S. pet owners spent $69.36 billion on their animals last year, including food, vet care and pet services like

Multi-colored kettle bell weights in a row

Planning your New Years’ fitness coverage

January is when many people resolve to lose weight or get active, so this is a good time to explore food and fitness trends and the economics behind them. According

Pizza is a $44 billion dollar industry with plenty of business story angles. ("Pizza" by andersbknudsen via Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

Business story ideas: The pizza economy

$44 billion. That’s how much Americans will spend on pizza in 2017, according to the PMQ Pizza Magazine’s 2017 Pizza Power Report. It is greater than the combined budgets of

New Year's resolutions come with a pricetag. Here are four stories to report. (Calendar image by "ulleo via Pixabay, CCO Creative Commons)

Reporting on the cost of New Year’s resolutions

The New Year typically arrives with resolutions such as eating more healthfully and getting in shape. What’s not always discussed is that those hopeful agendas have an impact on personal

Business reporters can find some of the season's most intriguing retail trends by following Twitter feeds. (Image by Pexels via Pixabay, CCO Creative Commons)

Holiday marketing strategies on Twitter

For a business reporter, the holiday season is all about retail and shopping. If you’re looking for a new angle this season, consider retailers that cater to niche audiences. They

Barlett & Steele Silver Award: How we did it

To understand how deeply the demise of Piggly Wiggly Carolina impacted the south, the Post and Courier’s Tony Bartelme interviewed over 50 of the grocery chain’s former employees. What he

New angles on the holiday shopping season

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are a heartbeat away, and the signs are positive for the retail sector. The National Retail Federation forecasts that this year’s U.S. holiday sales (not counting

Legalized pot is a topic business reporters can easily cultivate. (Image by "rexmedlen" via Pixabay, CCO Creative Commons)

Reporting cannabis: Five new story ideas

In California’s Monterey County, where until recently I lived and reported, the cannabis industry has been ramping up.  The cultivation and sale of medical marijuana is legal in the county and

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