10 Winners in the Recession
10. At-Home Coffee Brews
(Grant Symon/Getty Images)
The economy must be bad when even Starbucks, purveyor of $4 lattes, introduces its first value menu. But while the powerhouse's profits fell 69 percent in the fourth quarter of last year, revenue at Vermont's Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, which ships gourmet blends to the door, climbed 56 percent. And retailers have been selling Mr. Coffee's coffee makers faster than the company can ship them, says Matt Ragland, vice president of marketing, with sales of coffee makers and accessories rising almost 5 percent from last year.
The recession is hurting many families and companies across the country, but there are a few bright spots. Who do you think is a recession winner? And who are the biggest recession losers?