News

July retail sales (excluding automobiles, gas stations and restaurants) increased 0.3 percent seasonally adjusted from June, but declined in home-based categories, including building materials and furniture stores, according to the National Retail Federation. July retail sales, released today by the …

Westlake Ace Hardware has plans to open its 86th location in West Plains, Mo. It will be the chain’s second store incorporating a new store design and layout. The store will feature construction materials and a design approach intended to …

The National Small Business Association’s (NSBA) recently released 2013 Mid-Year Economic Report shows small business owners have improved their overall economic outlook, with 40 percent saying today’s economy is better off compared with five years ago—the highest it’s been in five years. …

Lowe’s today announced further progress in its plans to acquire the majority of assets of Orchard Supply Hardware, including 72 stores, for approximately $205 million in cash, plus the assumption of payables owed to nearly all of Orchard’s supplier partners, subject …

The National Retail Federation’s (NRF) ninth annual Organized Retail Crime (ORC) Survey found 93.5 percent of retailers say they have been victims of organized retail crime in the past year, down slightly from 96.0 percent in 2012. For the past three years, …

Littlejohn & Co., LLC, a private investment firm based in Greenwich, Conn., has completed the acquisition and recapitalization of Handy Hardware. Handy Hardware emerged from Chapter 11 after the U.S. Bankruptcy court in Wilmington, Del. approved the transaction in July. …

A federal judge threw out a Federal Reserve rule on fees banks can charge merchants when they swipe customers’ debit cards, saying the Fed didn’t do enough to limit the charges. The ruling won’t have an immediate effect on debit …

Both the number of unemployed, at 11.5 million, and the unemployment rate, at 7.4 percent, were down in July. These measures were down by 1.2 million and 0.8 percentage point over the year, respectively, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics …