Workplace

Not all the news about the economy is gloom and doom. Some companies are actually thriving. Here are four companies that are doing well, and what it says about us as a society. This comes from Investopedia:

• First: Amazon. It’s the number one internet store. Last year, when sales dipped for most retail businesses, sales at Amazon increased 28 percent. Their secret? Low prices and new technology. You can now buy Amazon gift cards through Facebook, and you can shop on-the-go with their smart phone app. You can even get Kindle on your phone – and they now sell more e-books than real books. What does that say about us? We love new technology and it’s changing the way we shop.
• Another company doing well despite the economy: Domino’s Pizza, and it’s all because they admitted they were wrong. Their customers complained that their pizza crust tasted like cardboard, and the sauce was like ketchup. So, they went on TV and admitted it was true! Then they overhauled their recipe. The result: People loved the new pizza and sales jumped 15%. What does that say about us? We appreciate honesty and are willing to give things a second chance.
• Another company that’s doing better than the competition right now: Allstar Products, the maker of Snuggies – the blanket with sleeves. The product has been parodied all over TV, but the attention paid off. 20 million Snuggies were sold last year. Why was it such a big hit? Because we’re staying home more to save money, and snuggling instead of going out. 
• One final business that’s thriving despite the downturn: Legos. The company estimates that kids spend five billion hours a year playing with Legos. Profits soared 63% last year, partly because of the popularity of block sets for “Star Wars” and “Lego City.” Even soccer star David Beckham said in an interview that he’d been building a Lego Taj Mahal. What does that say about our society? That kids still like to use their imagination and build things.