Business
'Vis-O-Matic' Was the 1950s Version of Online Shopping
A Canadian department store tried to revolutionize buying when it opened a shop with booths and screens for ordering merchandise
Separating Truth From Myth in the So-Called ‘Golden Age’ of the Detroit Auto Industry
The post-war era’s labor unrest and market instability has seemingly been forgotten in the public’s memory
The Last Remaining Rail Car That ‘Witnessed’ the Transcontinental Railroad’s Momentous Day
‘Crocker’s Car’ brought the tycoon Leland Stanford to connect the East Coast to the West in 1869
For the First Time, Green Power Tops Coal Industry in Energy Production in April
Renewable energy outworked coal in April—and will likely do the same in May—though the trend likely won't last once air-conditioners switch on
German Family That Owns Krispy Kreme Admits It Profited From Nazi Ties
Upon learning that their ancestors had relied on forced labor, the family was ‘ashamed and white as sheets,’ a spokesperson said
How Business Executive Madam C. J. Walker Became a Powerful Influencer of the Early 20th Century
A tin of hair conditioner in the Smithsonian collections reveals a story of the entrepreneurial and philanthropic success of a former washerwoman
How a 1897 Massacre of Pennsylvania Coal Miners Morphed From a Galvanizing Crisis to Forgotten History
The death of 19 immigrants may have unified the labor movement, but powerful interests left their fates unrecognized until decades later
The Rise of 'Zero-Waste' Grocery Stores
A growing number of supermarkets sell food without packaging in an effort to reduce the toll of plastic on the environment
What a Hundred-Year-Old Department Store Can Tell Us About the Overlap of Retail, Religion and Politics
The legacy left behind by the Philadelphia-based retail chain Wanamaker’s is still felt by shoppers today
Sweethearts Candies Won’t Be Available This Valentine’s Day
Production of the iconic treat ground to a halt after the company that makes them went out of business
The Accidental Invention of Bubble Wrap
Two inventors turned a failed experiment into an irresistibly poppable product that revolutionized the shipping industry
The Rise and Fall of the Sleeping Car King
George Pullman’s unbending business acumen made him a mogul, but also inspired the greatest labor uprising of the 19th century
Why the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Makes for a Complicated History
Charged with manslaughter, the owners were acquitted in December 1911. A Smithsonian curator reexamines the labor and business practices of the era
What Are the Economic Incentives to Invent?
Prizes and patents may fulfill different needs, but together they fuel innovation
The Shrewd Press Agent Who Transformed William Cody Into Larger-Than-Life Buffalo Bill
"Arizona John" Burke perfected the art of hype that converted a bison hunter into a symbol of national character
The FDA Has Approved the First Generic EpiPen Alternative
The new product will offer a more affordable alternative to a life-saving drug
How Guadalajara Reinvented Itself as a Technology Hub
Mexico's second largest city has nimbly transformed into a R&D hotpsot, offering a model for the country's future
The Factory That Oreos Built
A new owner for the New York City landmark offers a tasty opportunity to recap a crème-filled history
A Brief History of America’s Obsession With Sneakers
Invented for athletics, sneakers eventually became status symbols and an integral part of street style
The Story of Brownie Wise, the Ingenious Marketer Behind the Tupperware Party
Earl Tupper invented the container's seal, but it was a savvy, convention-defying entrepreneur who got the product line into the homes of housewives
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