TAMPA – Repair businesses were once a backbone of a small-town economy. If Main Street was the front-facing retail and public end of the local business ecosystem, the side streets and corners, with cheaper rents, offered small businesses the space to fix things. The Norman Rockwell painting What Makes itMORE HERE

This could be good time for Lenox, and all things American. When the virus goes, people will want to have the family over for a large dinner. And in a time when we spend $1,000 for caterers or supplies for a dinner, why not spend the same amount for something decent, and not Pottery Barn, to serve it on.MORE HERE

Tower Records Returns

If the U.K. was once known as a nation of shopkeepers, perhaps we might say that the U.S. and the U.K. can now be known as the nations of e-commerce sites. In this season, a number of once well-known names have returned. The British eyewear company Curry & Paxton isMORE HERE

Even if a venerable brand is beloved, companies still need to continue to invest in the product’s brand story. Such is the case with the key brands of Procter & Gamble, which has a long record in investing in its oldest brands. Last month, Target Corporation stores featured Crest, Secret,MORE HERE

DieHard, the former Sears brand, is back at Advance Auto stores across the nation. A DieHard commercial ran on the recent Packers/ Tampa Bay game, taking characters from the original Die Hard movie, and reprising them in an ad with original stars, including Bruce Willis. The plot begins with JohnMORE HERE

BOSTON – WGBH is the most noted high-culture brand in the United States. Yesterday, they changed their logo to a cutesy, street nickname, GBH. WGBH’s television programs, syndicated by the Public Broadcasting Service across the U.S., were and are cultural landmarks as well-known as Boston’s Old North Church. WGBH broughtMORE HERE