Latest news with #AppletonPost-Crescent
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fox Valley residents show concerns over the local economy over the next year
Consumers in the Fox Valley weighed in on the local economic outlook recently, with nearly three-quarters expecting local economic conditions to worsen in the year ahead. The Appleton Post-Crescent surveyed readers to capture the consumer sentiment in the Fox Valley in mid-April. Forty-seven respondents completed the questionnaire, responding on local economic conditions to personal finances between April 17 and April 30, amid far-reaching trade policy changes with national implications. Their responses show a deep concern about rising prices of goods and services, a tight job market, and restrained household spending. Some respondents said local issues, like egg prices, the housing market, and layoffs, and federal economic policies, especially tariffs, are shaping their recent financial outlook. This fits national trends of a prevailing economic uncertainty across the country, as shown by the recent data from the University of Michigan's Consumer Sentiment Index, which collects data monthly on consumers' views about their personal finances, business conditions, and purchasing decisions across the country. The index of consumer sentiment dropped to 50.8 out of 100, down from 52.2 in April, in a preliminary reading for May. It marks the second-lowest level on the record since June 2022. "Tariffs were spontaneously mentioned by nearly three-quarters of consumers, up from almost 60% in April; uncertainty over trade policy continues to dominate consumers' thinking about the economy," said Joanne Hsu, director of the Surveys of Consumers, in the release. Despite this gloom, most respondents in the Fox Valley say they are prepared for a financial emergency, demonstrating resilience in the region. Here is a breakdown of what the Fox Valley respondents said: Most respondents rate the current local economy as 'good' (51%) or 'fair' (27.7%), while only 4.3% say the economic outlook is 'excellent' and 17% call it 'poor.' However, 72.3% of respondents expect the local economy to deteriorate over the next year, and only 23.4% expect improvement. It shows strong pessimism about the near future, even among those who view the current situation positively. The majority of respondents say there are 'plentiful' or 'adequate' job opportunities in the Fox Valley, but over a quarter (27.7%) see them as 'limited' and 6.4% as 'very few'. Respondents feel the labor market will be in decline. Only 19.2% expect more job opportunities in the next six months, and an equal share of 19.2% see the 'same level', while 62% expect fewer opportunities. Only 12.8% of respondents say it's a good time for a major purchase, including a home, car, or appliances, while a majority of 61.7% say 'no,' and a quarter are unsure. Just over 46% of respondents plan to decrease spending in the next six months and 27.7% will keep the spending at the same level, with another 27.7% saying they are expecting an increase. The majority of respondents fear inflation: 78.7% expect prices to increase, with 53.2% saying 'significantly' and 25.5% saying 'moderately.' By contrast, 14.9% see prices falling. Meanwhile, 59.6% of respondents are 'very concerned' about inflation and believe it impacts their purchasing decisions, while 8.5% are 'not at all' concerned. Just over 6% of respondents say their ability to save has improved over the past year, while 38.3% responded it has declined over the same time, and 55.3% say it's unchanged. Despite challenges, 70.2% say they could handle an unexpected $1,000 expense, while 19.1% say they could not, and 10.6% are unsure. Zhen Wang is a business reporter for The Post-Crescent. Reach her with story tips and feedback at zwang@ or 920-993-7117. This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Fox Valley survey shows economic concerns amid financial resilience
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ready to try a new coffee spot? 7 Brew Coffee has opened in the Town of Buchanan
Ready to try a new drive-through coffee spot? 7 Brew Coffee is now open in the Town of Buchanan. The coffee shop, W3236 Outagamie County KK, opened on May 12. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held on May 14 with the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the opening, the location marking the first from the brand to arrive in the Fox Cities. "We're happy to have them here," Eric Broten, vice president of business growth and development for the Fox Cities Chamber, told the Appleton Post-Crescent. "Anytime we can bring new businesses into the area that we know have a great chance to succeed is great. It's been a long time coming and you can tell people are excited about it and love their coffee, so we're thrilled." Sign up for the Buzz newsletter Click here to get all the business openings and closings news right in your inbox The coffee drive-through was initially announced in November. In an interview with the Appleton Post-Crescent, 7 Brew's local franchisee owner, Tommy Pennington, said the turn out since opening has been great, and he's open to the idea of adding additional locations in the area. "The whole process has been smooth," Pennington said. "We have a really strong team here and they've been doing a fantastic job kicking things off." While preparing to open the location, 7 Brew gave away 15,000 drinks for free to local businesses and community members as a way to give back to the community. Pennington said the giveaway was a great way to train the team and introduce the business to the area. In honor of the recent opening, 7 Brew has been celebrating with an array of deals. It's current ongoing deals are free small drinks from 8 to 9 a.m., noon to 1 p.m. and 5 to 6 p.m. now through May 23. The business is also holding a "swag day" on May 24 where customers who order a large drink will receive a free t-shirt. The coffee stand, whose motto is "cultivating kindness," specializes in coffee beverages, teas, sodas, energy drinks, smoothies, and more, and is known for offering over 20,000 drink combinations. For more information, visit 7 Brew's website at Faith Huey is a business reporter for The Appleton Post-Crescent. You can reach her at fhuey@ or view her Instagram profile at @ This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: 7 Brew Coffee is now open in the Town of Buchanan
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Will you be able to see the Lunar eclipse in the Appleton area this week?
On Thursday, a blood moon will rise in the night sky as a total lunar eclipse becomes visible across the United States, including in Appleton. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon is full and aligned perfectly with the Earth and sun. This celestial event, unlike the total solar eclipse in April 2024, doesn't require special equipment to witness safely. It is also the first since November 2022. Here's what to know about the upcoming total lunar eclipse, including when and how to see it in the Appleton area. A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes into Earth's shadow while aligning with our planet and the sun, according to NASA. There are three different kinds of lunar eclipses: total, partial and penumbral. In a total lunar eclipse, like what is happening this week, the entire moon moves into the innermost and darkest part of Earth's shadow — dubbed the umbra — and completely blocks it from the sun, NASA says. If you want to see the total lunar eclipse in its prime, be ready to stay up past bedtime. According to the Penumbral Eclipse begins at 10:57 p.m., with the partial eclipse beginning 12:09 a.m. Friday. The total eclipse will take place at 1:26 a.m., before the maximum eclipse sets at 1:58 a.m. The total eclipse ends at 2:31 a.m. Because the sunlight is blocked, the moon will be dimmer than usual. But the effect will also paint its surface with a striking reddish-orange hue for a few hours, which is why they're sometimes called "blood moons." Although you don't need special equipment to see the total lunar eclipse, you should still seek out a dark environment for the best view. Here's some spots in the Appleton area that could give you some good spectating opportunities to see the total lunar eclipse. Hatten Park, 801 Werner-Allen Road, New London High Cliff State Park, N7630 State Park Road, Sherwood Mosquito Hill Nature Center, N3880 Rogers Road, New London Plamann Lake,1545 E. Broadway Drive, Appleton Rashad Alexander can be reached at ralexander@ and 920-431-8214. This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Will the March lunar eclipse be visible in the Appleton area?
