economy

Consumer Trends

Rich man, poor guest

One-percenters may not be the ideal customers their income would suggest.

Consumer Trends

3 summer travel trends to plan for

Here are a few important predictions for how, when and where people will spend their vacation dollars.

The economic backdrop for restaurant chains is changing, and smart franchisors will adjust accordingly, said Todd Jones, managing director of brand management and business development for GE Capital, Franchise Finance. He offered these specific tips for brands’ home office.

The Treasury delivered rules telling employers how they will need to track and report health care information to the IRS under the Affordable Care Act.

Carmike, operator of 252 movie theaters, recently reported a 7.3 percent fourth-quarter increase in sales and a $4.29 average spend per customer at concessions.

Nothing grabs attention like the fear of being poisoned at restaurants that are worshipped for their quality. Unless you’re talking about a vegan restaurant with ties to a cannibal.

Many millennials keep their weeknights jam-packed with work or activities, which leaves little time for after-hours socialization. Drunch, a mash-up of "drunk" and "brunch," has become the new dining trend for millennials.

Until The Home Depot opened its 500th store, co-founder and then-CEO Bernie Marcus personally trained every manager. “I don’t mean I spent a few hours with them and gave them a speech,” says Marcus, now age 84. “I spent days with them.”

Restaurants are like totally ignoring older kids with not-so-easy restaurant menu transitions.

Shorter breaks and shifting habits have hit some restaurants with a decline of 20 percent or more in lunchtime sales.

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