Update: As of January 16, Sears and ESL Investments appear to have reached an agreement to keep the company in business and stores open — for now. Be sure to subscribe to our blog for ongoing insights and analysis on new developments in this story.

Is this the end of the road for one of the oldest retailers in the US?

Tattoos and body art in the U.S. have soared in popularity lately, especially among Millennials, fueling an industry comprised of 20,000 tattoo parlors or studios. The industry, which also includes body piercing and tattoo removal, is estimated to be worth $3 billion, and is growing strongly.

Matchmaking and online dating has become big business, with dating services estimated to be worth $2.5 billion in 2015 and forecast to grow 5.1% per year to $3.2 billion by 2020.

The dating industry consists of much more than just dating websites, although these get the bulk of the media attention and account for 70% of the industry’s revenues. America’s 124 million singles are using mobile apps more often, but traditional services like matchmakers and dating coaches are also doing well.

According to a new market research report by BIS Research, titled Global E-cigarette and T-Vapor Market, Analysis and Forecast (2017-2025), the global e-cigarette and t-vapor market is expected to reach a value of $86.43 billion by 2025.

The average cost of a wedding reached an all-time high of $32,329, according to The Knot 2016 Real Weddings Study, which surveyed 13,000 brides and grooms across the United States.

That’s good news for the 300,000-plus wedding vendors operating in the U.S., including ceremony and reception venues, DJs, coordinators, photographers, caterers, hair and make-up artists, limo drivers, and more.

The subscription economy is one of several alternative business models gaining traction across sectors and is explored in a recent report, Engage, Return, and Repeat: The Subscription Economy, by Euromonitor International.

The subscription model has wrought major changes across many industries — from Dollar Shave Club’s disruption of the razor market, to Birchbox’s explosion into cosmetics, and the impact of companies like Zipcar selling mobility rather than the car itself. Many businesses are asking themselves how they can tap into the subscription model, but should they is another important question.

Forbes recently published an article written by Ken Long, a Senior Industry Analyst at The Freedonia Group, a division of MarketResearch.com. The article highlights seven key facts you need to know before investing in drone technology.

Read the article to learn:

• Forecasts of U.S. drone sales to 2020
• Which markets are poised to explode and which will climb at moderate rates
• Where you can find possible investment opportunities

The International Data Corporation (IDC) FutureScape series provides clear predictions and expert insights to help technology suppliers, investors, IT professionals, and business executives strategize for the future.

Eight of these studies are highlighted below which cover a variety of areas undergoing transformative change including oil and gas, robotics, 3D printing, retail, connected vehicles, and more. Read on to learn about IDC’s 2017 predictions, and click to the report pages to access more detailed information.

How will President Donald Trump affect the economy in the coming weeks and years? Which industries face the biggest shifts? How can you be prepared for what's next?

Several market research firms are weighing in as various issues jump to the forefront of the news cycle.

Here's a look at the latest #mrx tweets serving up data and analysis on the potential economic impact of Trump's presidency across different industries.

Conditions have never been more challenging for luxury brands, according to Fflur Roberts, Head of Luxury Goods at Euromonitor International.

“Headline growth remains disappointing, and the markets overall face mounting risks — it's clear nothing is written in stone,” Roberts explained in a recent video highlighting the latest market research on the global luxury goods industry.