As Underground Retail Changes, Subway Newsstands Remain Iconic

For decades, newsstands have been the face of underground retail: small booths on busy subway platforms where you can pick up candy and tabloids before hopping on the next train. But now, in place of chewing gum and cigarettes, today you’re almost as likely to find a shuttered stand instead. About 40 percent of the 326 available retail spaces in subway stations are currently unoccupied. As a result, MTA wants to modernize retail in subway stations. The agency recently announced plans to pilot new retail options, including pop-up shops and vending machines. See more at WNYC.