08.18.20 | A man is denied entry into a Hot Springs Casino because he was carrying a Louis Vuitton Purse—while women with much larger bags were let right through security. Was this gender bias or something else? Dr. Pepper is the latest victim of the pandemic shortages. If you like it, find it and buy it. (Tim shares his three tips on how best to drink Dr. Pepper.) Finally, REI has decided to forego its new, unused, headquarters in Washington State.

08.12.20 | Shop Talk discusses the slow drip of bad news for Ellen and her staff. Many people have come forward and believe that Ellen supports a toxic work environment, putting her “be kind to one another” catch phrase in doubt. But first, Costco knows its market and Trump is looking to put his mug on Mount Rushmore. Julius Rosenwald, of Sears Roebuck fame and philanthropist to the education of African Americans in the South, is our Business Birthday.

08.11.20 | Hasbro pulls a Troll doll from the shelves due to an unfortunately placed button. How do these things get to the production stage? Then, Halloween candy sales are expected to slump, and chickens become the newest pandemic pet. Dolls, candy, and chickens. How can you resist?

08.05.20 | Shop Talk looks at 4 mindsets that we should all employ to aid in achieving success. As with many things, attitude is key. But first, Caught My Eye looks at an artist’s version of pandemic Barbie dolls and Trader Joe’s backtracks on earlier news that it would change the names of Trader Jose’s and Trader Ming’s. A spokesperson says that the company would not change any product names based on a petition and the names were “fun and showed appreciation for other cultures.” The father of the Multiplex Theater, Stanley Durwood, is our Business Birthday.

08.04.20 | Conservative Christians are going to have a tough time shopping as they have added Hallmark gift wrap, cards, and ornaments to their boycott list. They are upset about same-sex relationships in some Hallmark Channel storylines. Steve Jobs exhibits emotional intelligence and there is a study that shows car service app drivers will exhibit a bias toward LGBTQ customers. Overall the study showed that drivers were 3 times more likely to cancel rides once they found out the pick-up was LGBTQ based on user profiles.

07.29.20 | Tim Gunn of Project Runway fame is our Business Birthday this week. Also, stoop finds and drive-thru strip clubs Caught Our Eye. Shop Talk explores 5 steps that will help improve your memory—whether someone’s birthday, name, or counting cards at the casino—it’s all about practice.

07.28.20 | The Dollar Shave Club is offering a $25,000 prize for the man who can best describe the importance of his balls. Tim and John are going to give it a shot. Find the rules on our Facebook Page #FocusGroupRadio. Also, people under 30 are more agnostic in their remote work apps to get things done, and Netflix stops production of a Turkish series due to pressure from Turkey’s government because there was a gay character as part of the story.

07.22.20 | Shop Talk looks at how the LGBTQ population views saving for retirement. Surprisingly, only 30% think it’s a major concern—and we wonder if that is the same for Americans overall. Caught My Eye looks at underage kids dressing up like old people to buy liquor, and 45 moves the Clinton and Bush Presidential portraits out of public view at the White House. Ely Culbertson, the man who helped make the game of Contract Bridge popular in the USA is our Business Birthday.

07.21.20 | Tobacco sales continue to decline in most industrial countries, and a study sites plain packaging in places like the UK for contributing to the sales slump. A well-written article about a man in Charlotte, NC that was not only a champion retailer, but an ardent supporter of the LGBTQ community, is the best honor that any of us could ask for. Finally, due to social distancing and less socializing, Durex has announced that while the e-commerce condom business is up, the overall business is way down.