Struggling Finish Line strives to reduce reliance on apparel
Slumping sales of apparel led the Indianapolis-based athletic clothier to report a steep loss in its latest quarter.
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Fishers City Council approves agreement for culinary development
The Yard, a 17-acre development by Thompson Thrift Retail Group, would replace the existing Springdale Estates neighborhood on the southeast corner of 116th Street and Ikea Way, just east of Interstate 69.
Fishers neighborhood to be razed for massive ‘culinary’ development
A 17-acre project called The Yard would be located next to Ikea and include numerous lots for restaurants, a culinary incubator and possibly a dinner theater. It could cost $40 million to $60 million to develop.
Three area Sears stores set to close in January
The stores are all operated by Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores Inc., a struggling public company that was spun off by Sears Holdings Corp. in 2012.
Scotty’s Brewhouse founder completes sale of 17-restaurant chain
A Scottsdale, Arizona-based company announced Friday that it has closed on its acquisition of Indianapolis-based restaurant chain Scotty’s Brewhouse. IBJ first reported the deal in October.
Finish Line proves again how hard it is to diversify
Finish Line's decision to give up on its JackRabbit running-shoe chain and try to find a buyer marks the fourth time the company has stumbled badly while trying to diversify.
Starbucks’ plan to win lunch crowd may be tough task for new CEO
Starbucks Corp. wants to persuade its coffee-loving customers to come back for lunch, after stumbling several times in previous attempts to expand its food offerings.
Sonic cooks up new plan to blanket Indianapolis area with drive-ins
Sonic is the nation’s largest drive-in chain and has solid name recognition, but has struggled to gain a major foothold in central Indiana.
Milano Inn to close after more than 80 years
The sisters who co-own the restaurant say they’re in negotiations to sell it and will serve their last customers on New Year’s Eve.
Black Friday deals helped lift U.S. auto sales in November
Black Friday deals — a relatively new phenomenon for the auto industry — are expected to pull November U.S. auto sales out of their recent slump.
Report: Thanksgiving, Black Friday sales up 9 percent
According to First Data, almost 25 percent of the holiday dollars spent over the two-day period came from e-commerce, up from 18 percent last year and nearly 16 percent in 2014.
With deals offered early, Cyber Monday may lose online sales title
The Monday after Thanksgiving is traditionally the busiest online shopping day, but stores are releasing internet deals earlier, stretching them through the week, as well as making them available in stores.
Thanksgiving weekend shoppers spend less in stores, more online
Weekend shoppers picked up hot toys, TVs and new Apple products, buying both online and in stores, but spent less per person because of rampant discounting that they’ve come to demand.
Department stores change tactics as more sales go online
The beleaguered department-store industry, facing declining mall traffic and mounting online competition, will need more than Santa Claus to get customers in the door this year.
Harley-Davidson moving from Carmel to Fishers, nearly doubling store size
Harley-Davidson plans to construct and open a 43,000-square-foot store in Fishers near State Road 37 and 126th Street in the Reynolds Industrial Park and close its existing north-side location.
Florida cigar bar commits to high-profile Circle Centre corner
Burn By Rocky Patel has agreed to take 5,500 square feet at the corner of Meridian and Maryland streets as mall operator Simon Property Group continues to fill spaces left by the departure of Nordstrom.
Noble Roman’s dumps take-and-bake restaurant strategy for new concept
The company said it took a $1.4 million loss in the third quarter from discontinuing operations in its standalone take-and-bake restaurant operations. It plans to focus on a new restaurant concept that will debut in January.
Dirty linen: Bed sheets scandal roils major U.S. retailers
A team of investigators spent the summer trying to answer what should have been a simple question: What were hundreds of thousands of sheets sold by big retailers like Target and Walmart actually made of?
After slow stretch, Southport’s commercial core sparks with new projects
Sophia’s on Southport Road near Madison Avenue is opening ahead of a big expansion for a dental claims processor and the construction of an $11 million senior living facility.
J.C. Penney cuts sales forecast as turnaround bid stumbles
Shares of J.C. Penney slumped Friday after the department store chain with five local stores reported sluggish third-quarter sales, particularly in apparel, and cut its forecast for the remainder of the year.