Washington’s “Cross-Pollination” of Business Blossoming

Construction cranes define the Seattle-area skyline, where luxury apartments squeeze between offices of major tech corporations, as part of a recent growth explosion that has attracted newcomers from around the world and helped transform Washington state. The boom, which extends beyond the urban economic hub to out-state areas as well, has in part over the years readjusted the way state and local leaders consider higher education, infrastructure and innovation.

What Happened in the Stock Market Today

Gold-based ETFs attracted heavy investor interest as the price of the precious metal continues to bounce around. It rose on Friday, which helped send the VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF As for individual stocks, dozens of companies saw elevated attention after posting their quarterly earnings reports ahead of Friday’s opening bell.The reports from Starbucks Starbucks managed improved sales and profits over the holiday quarter , but that wasn’t enough to impress investors as the stock fell 4% following its earnings report.

The Amazon Effect: Store Closures Everywhere

Brick-and-mortar retailers are increasingly losing foot traffic and sales to online retailers as consumers increasingly shift to online shopping, either by desktop or mobile device. Two weeks ago, I argued that traditional retailers need to evolve their stores into one-of-a-kind ” destination venues ” to create a unique experience for the customer, one that they can’t get from an online retailer.