Retail sales posted a surprising 0.3-percent increase in February as consumers did not let major snowstorms stop them from storming the malls.

The Illinois-based drugstore chain is seeking to sell beer and wine at 29 of its stores in Marion County. Opponents argue that the county already has granted enough permits.

HHGregg Inc. had been in business nearly a half century when it hit the 50-store mark in 2004. It plans to open nearly that number within the next year.

Kmart's announcement that it will close its store in Connersville in May will put 59 employees out of work. Fayette County, where the city is located, already is strapped by steep job losses.

Indianapolis car dealer Tom Wood died Thursday morning after battling lung cancer. Wood grew his business from a single dealership he purchased in 1967.

The second-largest company in the movie-rental business behind Blockbuster Inc. is immediately closing 760 locations. The chain operates 14 stores in central Indiana, according to its Web site.

HHGregg's profit and revenue both increased in its fiscal third quarter, despite a slight dip in same-store sales. The opening of 19 stores helped offset the decrease.

The Mystery Co. in the Arts & Design District plans to host a farewell party Jan. 30, and close for good a few days later.

Steak n Shake Co. said Friday it posted a fourth-quarter profit, and said it is planning to change its corporate name to Biglari Holdings Inc.

The bill would require pet stores to put information about the dog or cat on its cage in the store, including the animal's medical history, the name of the breeder and any congenital disorders.

Businesses say the money they must pay to provide customers the convenience to use plastic adds up. For example, Ricker Oil Co. paid a whopping $3.9 million in 2009, according President Jay Ricker.

Mall retailer The Finish Line Inc. has agreed to forfeit a potentially lucrative tax-abatement deal because it won't be able to meet a 2008 promise to create almost 200 jobs and invest $24 million at its Indianapolis headquarters.

The New York-based department store has one other location in Indianapolis, in Lafayette Square Mall. That store opened in 2008.

Customers are buying fewer high-priced big-screen TVs from electronics chain HHGregg Inc., an analyst said Tuesday as he lowered his investment rating on the company's stock.

Jim Kittle Jr., the company's owner and chairman of the board, will be less involved in daily operations, giving two executives more responsibility.

With an improved balance sheet and $150 million in its pocket, the athletic-gear retailer is looking at new locations and improving its online shopping hub.

The Steak n Shake Co., in an unusual gambit, plans to initiate a reverse stock split that would reduce its number of shares outstanding from almost 29 million to just 1.4 million and boost its per-share price from roughly $12 to $240.

After more than a century in business, Indianapolis-based Stout’s Footwear Co. isn’t just surviving. It also is proceeding with plans to open a store next year on the city’s north side.

National Wine & Spirits Inc. suffered a staggering reversal of fortune when the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission ruled Nov. 5 that Southern Wine & Spirits of America Inc. could distribute here.

Cafe Patachou owner Martha Hoover can now move forward with plans to open a pizzeria next to her trademark eatery at 49th and Pennsylvania streets.

Airport concessionaires stung by a 10-percent drop in passenger traffic have asked the Indianapolis Airport Authority to ease a policy that was implemented more than 10 years ago to keep prices in line with what consumers pay outside the airport.

Shoe Carnival Inc.'s quarterly same-store sales, which measure revenue from locations open at least a year, climbed 10.2 percent.

Those in the trenches say this won't be a blockbuster Christmas, but it won’t be horrid, either.

Two key employees of the recently closed store in downtown Bloomington have opened their own venture, Melody Music Shop.

HHGregg reported a rise in quarterly profit and sales Thursday morning that exceeded analyst expectations, despite a decrease in same-store sales.