How COVID Changed Brick-and-Mortar Retail (for the Better)
After his obituary was published, Mark Twain famously wrote “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.
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Covid Info Hub
Coping With COVID: A Tale of Two Furniture Manufacturers
As we enter year two of the coronavirus, we think it’s worth recalling FurnitureToday’s recent account of how two upholstery manufacturers faced the pandemic’s labor and supply-chain challenges head on.
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PPP Loan Alert: The Well is Running Dry!
Despite a two-month deadline extension, to May 31, time is nonetheless running out for members who wish to apply for a forgivable loan under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
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PPP Loan Deadline Likely Extended by Two Months
The Senate last week approved extending the deadline for loan applications under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) from this Wednesday to May 31.
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Improve Your Curb Appeal During the Pandemic
COVID-19 has certainly altered the retail shopping landscape, at least for the time being.
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Improving Your Showroom Appeal During the Pandemic, Part 2
As we continue to navigate our way through business during COVID-19, we have to remind ourselves that it’s imperative to make sure our shopping environments are always safe, informative and upbeat, whether we’re in a pandemic or not. It just makes long-term sense to operate this way.
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Attention PPP Borrowers: Beware a Tax Bite from Your State
The experience of a small powder coating company in Minnesota can serve as a cautionary tale for PPP recipients who thought their forgivable loans came free and clear.
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Trade Group Urges Early Vaccines for Retail Workers
The National Retail Federation (NRF), the world’s largest retail trade association, has petitioned the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to include retail workers in the early phases of COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
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PPP Round Two: What You Need to Know
The new $900 billion COVID stimulus package passed this week by Congress contains a number of new provisions that could directly affect BrandSource members, including additional Paycheck Protection Program funding (PPP) and relaxed deductibility rules.
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Business Groups Urge Congress to Restore PPP Loan Tax Breaks
Over 500 state and national trade associations, including the National Retail Federation (NRF), the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, are pressing Congress to restore tax deductibility for business expenses paid with forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.
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SBA Proposes PPP Questionnaire for $2M+ Borrowers
In the wake of criticism for issuing Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to financially viable companies like Shake Shack and the Los Angeles Lakers, and amid suspicion of widespread program abuse and fraud, the Small Business Administration (SBA) is seeking permission to question borrowers who received $2 million or more in PPP loans.
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We Got COVID at Our Store. Now What?
A renewed wave of COVID-19 is surging across the country, and BrandSource members are not immune.
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UASA Cancels ASTI Service Show for 2021
The United Appliance Servicers Association (UASA), a BrandSource partner and arguably the nation’s largest appliance repair trade group, has pulled the plug on next February’s Annual Service Training Institute (ASTI) due to COVID-related health concerns.
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Tempur Sealy to Introduce Virus-Killing Mattresses Next Year
Tempur Sealy plans to employ an antimicrobial and antiviral technology to select Sealy, Tempur-Pedic and Stearns & Foster mattresses in 2021.
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The Impact of the Coronavirus and Why I Can’t Wait for 2021
Here’s another interesting effect of the coronavirus that we didn’t expect or at least use in our estimates for economic expansion or contraction: COVID-19 has greatly reduced the time we spend on the highways.
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The Impact of the Coronavirus and Why I Can’t Wait for 2021
I have been following America’s economy for more than 60 years and have documented some extraordinary events over that time, but nothing prepared me for what I have witnessed in 2020.
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How to Become a Recruitment Dynamo
It was just ten short years ago when businesses had the upper hand in hiring, and finding good employees was as easy as putting up a “Help Wanted” sign or posting something on social media.
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Bye-Bye Black Friday?
In his keynote address at the 2020 Virtual Convention, AVB Merchandising VP Chad Evans suggested that COVID would quell the Black Friday queues that traditionally circle box stores on Thanksgiving.
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Mattress Sales Bounce Amid the Pandemic
Replacement sales of home goods have soared during the health crisis, as consumers spend more time at home and imperfections in their appliances and home furnishings become more apparent.
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The U.S. Economy in the Age of Covid-19
It is a new way of life in America since February of 2020 and I am trying to make predictions about the U.S. economy while I shelter in place here at my home in Washington. Our economy is opening up, but the news has not made it any easier to gaze into the old crystal ball and tell you what is going to happen.
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