Charlie Spakes

Some, like the hospitality industry, are bracing for a long, slow return to pre-COVID vitality. Others, like the energy sector, see a quicker recovery after the early swoon. Some trends seem baked into expectations, like reliance on home-based employees and the technology they use. read more >

COVID-19 precautions have changed customer behavior as record numbers of purchasers go online, and restaurants and retailers adjust. read more >

Amazon, the online retailing goliath based in Seattle, announced last February that it would start collecting sales tax owed on purchases made by Arkansas residents. The early, non-exact results are in: more, but not as much as predicted by many. read more >

This is the ninth year that Arkansas Business has sought out talented young leaders in our business and nonprofit community to introduce to readers in a feature called the New Influentials: 20 in Their 20s. read more >

Online sales grew to 8.2 percent of all retail sales in the U.S. last year, and projections of continued growth finally seem to be creating the political will to tax internet purchases. read more >