Follow LA Observed on Twitter here
By maintaining lean inventories and selectively promoting items that offer the best margins - a strategy that's helped chain stores during the important back-to-school period in August and September. Forecasts call for overall holiday sales in the 2.5 percent to 3 percent range - not great, but not a disaster either. This week's chat with Susanne Whatley (Steve Julian is doing pledge week stuff) also looks at the end of Napster, the online music service. Available at kpcc.org and podcast (Business Update with Mark Lacter). Transcript is after jump
More by Mark Lacter:
American-US Air settlement with DOJ includes small tweak at LAXSocal housing market going nowhere fast
Amazon keeps pushing for faster L.A. delivery
Another rugged quarter for Tribune Co. papers
How does Stanford compete with the big boys?
Those awful infographics that promise to explain and only distort
Best to low-ball today's employment report
Further fallout from airport shootings
Crazy opening for Twitter*
Should Twitter be valued at $18 billion?
Recent Economy stories:
Those awful infographics that promise to explain and only distortBest to low-ball today's employment report
Exit interview with Port of L.A.'s executive director
L.A. developers relying on foreign investors bend a few rules
Holiday shopping: On your marks, get set... spend!
New at LA Observed
On the Politics Page
Go to Politics
Sign up for daily email from LA Observed
Mark Lacter created the LA Biz Observed blog in 2006. He posted
until the day before his death on Nov. 13, 2013.