Milwaukee
, Wis. – With more people being vaccinated and stimulus checks being distributed, this year’s Mother’s Day celebration on May 9th is shaping up to be much different than last year’s. Consumers are expected to spend a record $28.1 billion this year, up $1.4 billion from 2020, according to the annual survey by the National Retail Federation.
Consumers may be more optimistic this year, making up for last year when Mother’s Day fell during mandatory restrictions. According to NRF, here are the top 10 gifts shoppers are planning to buy: Greeting Cards; Flowers; Special Outing; Gift Cards; Clothing/Accessories; Jewelry; Housewares/Gardening tools; Personal Service; Books/CDs; and Electronics.
Milwaukee
, Wis. – Let’s face it. Businesses across the country have faced unprecedented challenges for the last several months because of the coronavirus crisis. Office life became work from home with the kids, pets and spouses. Video conferences and cell phone screens became the window to the outdoor world and the connections between employer/employee.
However, the doors have been slowly swinging back open for business.
Small Business Week highlights local business owners; many of them are being hailed as heroes for surviving this unprecedented time. They’ve carried on by supporting their community through acts of kindness, connecting with regular customers or coming up with creative ways to keep their own staff employed.
Beware of unsolicited emails attempting to place large orders for products, services
Milwaukee
, Wis. – The Better Business Bureau Serving Wisconsin is warning businesses of emails that appear to be a solicitation for business, but ask for bank account information in order to “make payment.” A Madison-based restaurant recently notified BBB Wisconsin of an unsolicited email it received from an individual claiming to work for a “small health volunteer group” requesting to place a large food order. The email explains that the order is for volunteer workers “fighting against the dreadful outbreak of the COVID19” and says that a driver will pick up the order on the slated date. The closing salutation reads, “Thanks a lot in anticipation of a positive response. Best Regards, Cole.S”
Milwaukee
, Wis. – It seems harmless and fun! A bunch of friends on Facebook or other social media are sharing their senior portraits, including the high school name and graduation year, to support the graduating class of 2021.
Watch out, scammers or hackers who surf through social media sites will see these #ClassOf2021 posts, and will now have the name of your high school and graduation year, which are common online security questions. All it takes is an internet search to reveal more information about you, such as family members, your real name, birth date, or even where you live.
Better Business Bureau (BBB) cautions everyone to be aware of what they are sharing. Even if you think it’s just going to your friends, it could also be going somewhere else.