Marketplace Business News

01/04/2026

At a time when average concert ticket prices have reached triple digits, and the labor market is cooling, consumers may pull back on spending on pricey shows. That helps tributes bands.

“[Because] the big concerts will go before tributes go,” one booking agent said.

“It’s just like the real thing, but less expensive,” said tribute band booking agent, Michael Twombly.

01/03/2026

Goldman Sachs predicts that by 2027, the influencer industry will grow to $500 billion. So it’s not an overstatement to say that influencing has changed how and what content we consume on the internet. And in turn, it informs what we choose to buy.

Mia Sato at The Verge talks about how influencers have changed the internet.

01/03/2026

Move over “Be Kind, Rewind.” The new slogan is “Take A Movie, Leave A Movie.” That’s right: A Blockbuster nostalgia trip could be coming to a yard near you.

Price hikes and password-sharing crackdowns have customers reconsidering how much they’re willing to spend on streaming services.

01/03/2026

The knock-on effects of SNAP benefit restrictions, for shoppers and retailers.

Plus: Huge driverless trucks and a deportation deal.

Today on Marketplace.

It'll have ramifications for benefits recipients and retailers alike. Plus: Huge driverless trucks and a deportation deal.

01/02/2026

Private credit has been around for decades, but with the growth of services like buy now, pay later, it’s entering the mainstream. That makes it harder to measure how consumers are doing.

With the growth of services like buy now, pay later, it’s getting harder to keep up with how consumers are doing.

01/02/2026

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01/02/2026

People who are in default on their federal student loans could soon start seeing their wages garnished for the first time since the pandemic began.

Wage garnishment will begin just as enhanced subsidies for ACA health insurance expire.

01/02/2026

LA has had rent control for decades. Still, most of the city’s renters pay more than what the federal government considers affordable.

01/01/2026

In 2025, highly publicized federal cuts resulted in an individual giving boost to nonprofits throughout the year. Some nonprofits worry demand will soon outgrow those private donations.

Plus: Deportation fears, public utilities, airport lounges, and customs logistics.

Today on Marketplace.

Plus: Deportation fears, public utilities, airport lounges, and customs logistics.

01/01/2026

The U.S. Mint pressed the final batch of pennies in November, ending a 232-year run for the one-cent coin. But with more than 100 billion pennies in circulation, they’ll be around for a while.

More than 100 billion pennies are in circulation, said Steven Roach, an expert on coinage history — meaning they’ll be around for a while.

01/01/2026

According to one energy expert, “Consumers should expect gasoline prices to be 10% to 15% lower in 2026 than they were in 2025.”

U.S. consumers ended the year paying the lowest price at the pump since 2020, thanks to low oil prices and increased supply.

01/01/2026

When was the last time you paid for something in cash? On the other hand, when was the last time you left home without a wallet?

We ask because the way we pay for things is changing — only 14% of all payments are now made in cash. And that shift has been particularly acute among young people.

Young people’s relationship to cash is changing—and some Gen Zers don’t even carry wallets anymore.