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.
Retail
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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.
Sixteen Indy-area Popeyes acquired by franchise group
Indiana-based Womack Restaurants began its association with the Atlanta-based chicken chain in 2014 and also has locations in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma.
Kohl’s shares soar on quarterly profit growth
The retailer, which operates 14 stores in the Indianapolis area, recently bought a massive distribution center in Plainfield that it plans to use in its strategy to boost online sales.
Thanksgiving Day shopping is here to stay, but with some tweaks
Thanksgiving Day shopping isn’t going away, but some stores are rethinking their strategies on whether it makes sense to be open on the holiday itself.
HHGregg posts steep quarterly loss on falling sales
The Indianapolis-based appliance and electronics retailer suffered another money-losing quarter, though its strategy to focus more on appliances is making headway.
Steak n Shake rebounds to post small same-store sales increase
Sales at established Steak n Shake restaurants rose slightly in the latest quarter following disappointing results last period that snapped a streak of 29 consecutive quarterly increases dating to 2009.
Holiday sales are projected to go up, but malls might not benefit
Upbeat holiday shopping forecasts are giving retailers reason to cheer despite nagging signs that consumers are spending less at malls and instead opting for online outlets.
Here’s how Cubs championship hats get to stores so fast
Cubs fans had been waiting more than a century for this triumph, and the rush for celebratory merchandise is on. Zionsville-based Lids Sports Group is using extra workers to make sure key stores have caps available as soon as possible.
Finish Line seeking buyer for its JackRabbit stores, sources say
The specialty running-shoe division, which operates 70 stores under various names, could draw interest from private equity firms and other sporting-goods chains.
Founders of The Kitchen opening bistro on Mass Ave
The yet-to-be-named restaurant will occupy 5,500 square feet in Gershman Partners’ Marietta building under construction next to the Marott Center.
Buffalo Wild Wings-owned taco chain targets Indianapolis for expansion
Buffalo Wild Wings hopes to open 15 to 20 R Taco locations in the metropolitan area as soon as possible and is seeking franchisees with multi-restaurant experience to lead the growth.