Market managers and vendors at the markets participating in the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s Double SNAP initiative, which matches Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits dollar-for-dollar on edible items, saw SNAP transactions nearly triple from 2019 to 2020, and 80% of responding vendors said they’d experienced sales growth due to the program.
As Asheville takes steps to reckon with its long history of systemic racism and economic inequity, local business owners are wondering what impacts the city’s ambitious initiatives will have on them.
The foundation approved roughly $47 million in grants throughout the year, including over $3 million for personal protective equipment, $5 million to address substance use disorder, $3.7 million for racial equity and $3 million toward affordable housing.
Former Xpress managing editor Jon Elliston shares his recap of key developments in 2020’s local media landscape.
The Xpress advertising team has a unique window into the region’s small-business community. After nine months of local economic turmoil, advertising representatives David Furr, Sara Brecht and Tiff Wagner reflect on the year’s ups and downs.
Xpress Assistant Editor Daniel Walton and local community figures discuss how the year’s events have accelerated many of the issues that were already facing Western North Carolina.
To position the WNC for future growth, the region must look to emerging markets, customer bases and supply chains, state economic development leaders shared during a round table discussion with local business owners.
Buncombe County logged $53 million in room sales for October, the latest month for which data is available. The figure represents a 6% increase over the $50 million in sales for the same month in 2019 — and an all-time monthly record.
Collapse of tourism and leisure economies devastating to Buncombe, Brunswick and New Hanover counties.
Tax records examined by Asheville Watchdog reveal that in the decade leading up to the $1.5 billion sale of Asheville’s community-owned hospital system, a steadily increasing amount of Mission’s revenue went to salaries and bonuses for an increasingly crowded suite of non-clinical executives.
As urban dwellers flock to rural counties to get their fix of socially distanced outdoor recreation, local adventure shops are seeing a boom. Those located near trails, rivers and campsites have an added advantage: Close to the action means tailored advice and last-minute purchases.
With COVID cases rising, Black Mountain retailers worry that the modest rebound they’ve seen this fall might fade away before the holiday shopping season can give their balance sheets a much-needed yearend boost. But several factors could work in their favor: a strong commitment from residents to support their local stores, a sense that smaller shopping districts pose less risk than crowded city centers and widespread compliance with mask-wearing and social distancing guidelines.
Despite the statewide shutdown earlier this year, local jewelry stores report a profit in sales. But the good times are not universally felt throughout the industry.
Chief among the issues facing the General Assembly next year, said Sen. Chuck Edwards, would be balancing the state’s next budget to reflect pandemic-driven downturns in revenue. He estimated that the shortfall compared to current spending levels could be as much as $8 billion.
Asheville Integrative Medicine will close next month, a victim of COVID-19 and the ensuing recession.
The beautiful thing with Asheville is that businesses are so willing to build each other up instead of competing, so I’m thankful I’ve been able to quickly find a community that supports me and my business. And I’m glad I got to cut back my hours at my day job. In my personal life, I’m […]
While overall hotel revenue was down more than 27% year-over-year in September, the latest month for which data is available, overall vacation rental sales that month increased by about 55% year-over-year, according to Explore Asheville interim CEO Chris Cavanaugh.
No Buncombe County commissioners addressed why the subsidy was necessary for the company to make its investment during their Nov. 17 meeting. P&W is a division of Raytheon Technologies, a Fortune 50 company with approximately $10 billion in cash reserves.
For many WNC nonprofits, business support and partnerships comprise a significant part of their budgets. And while Asheville has a comparatively large number of nonprofits per capita, area businesses rise to the need.
Under a proposed economic development incentive agreement, Buncombe County taxpayers would subsidize the division of military contractor Raytheon Technologies, which made over $77 billion last fiscal year, to the tune of $27 million.
Ten entrepreneurs of color with existing businesses have been selected for Mountain BizWorks’ inaugural Catalyst Cohort. Plus, business openings and updates.
