Top 10 Business Observer stories of the first half of 2024

An analysis of the most-viewed stories in the Business Observer the first half of 2024 reveals, in a small sample size, two conflicting themes. 

One theme: in several so-called legacy industries — shipping documents via trucks and planes and shopping malls, to name two — businesses are shrinking in size and employees. On the other hand, entrepreneurial-minded business leaders are seizing opportunities to grab and grow market share, even in restaurants and grocery stores, two sectors especially crushed by inflation and high costs. 

One other theme: people in the region are busy: Out of the top 20 most-viewed Business Observer stories from Jan. 1 to June 30, 17 of them involve entities opening, closing, buying, demolishing, persevering land or and/or choosing Florida for a market debut for a new brand. (Two others of the top 20 involve reporting of news somewhat reflective of challenges many have experienced in the economy. One headline read: Collier County ranked worst county in Florida to raise a family, from a FloridaRentals.com report. The other, Home sales report: Sarasota-Bradenton leads nation in slashing prices, came from a Redfin analysis.) 

One final quirky discovery: The two most-viewed stories so far in 2024 were both published on the same day, Feb. 27, and both had the word mall in the headline.

The top 10 most-viewed stores in the first six months of the year are: