Sarah Halzack – Page 3

A customer walks through The Book Cellar in Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood July 27, 2016. The shop is gearing up for the release of the new Harry Potter book, "The Cursed Child."

‘Harry Potter’ is back — and so is the bookstore hoopla we haven’t seen since 2007

June 10, 2018 at 9:34 a.m.

On Saturday night, bookstores across the country will do something they haven't done in a long while: Fling open their doors to host late-night parties for masses of Muggles looking...

Starbucks has introduced a new dress code for employees. By giving employees more flexibility in how they dress, Starbucks is trying to distinguish itself from other employers with comparable schedules and wages.

The meaning of Starbucks’ new employee dress code

June 11, 2018 at 8:58 p.m.

Fedoras are a do, but bucket hats are a don't. Colors such as charcoal, navy, brown and black are in — bright ones like red and yellow are out. Patterns...

Meet American Girl’s new dolls, WellieWishers — a pint-sized solution to a multimillion-dollar problem

June 11, 2018 at 9:27 p.m.

It has been tough times for toymaker American Girl. First, Princess Elsa from "Frozen" took the doll aisle by storm, icing out other players in the category. Then, last year,...

Credit card companies are working to make it easier for merchants to switch to checkout systems that accept chip cards.

Move could speed retailers’ shift to secure chip cards

June 10, 2018 at 12:07 p.m.

The switch from magnetic stripe credit and debit cards to chip-enabled ones was always going to be more marathon than sprint: Millions of new cards must be manufactured and distributed,...

The exterior of Restoration Hardware in Chicago.

Restoration Hardware is having a bad week

June 11, 2018 at 10:00 p.m.

While retailers catering to middle-class shoppers have had a rough go in recent years, things had been cushy at Restoration Hardware: It was ringing up big sales from shoppers so...

Big changes are ahead at Ralph Lauren, including store closings and lay offs

June 10, 2018 at 11:59 a.m.

Iconic apparel company Ralph Lauren has been in a years-long rut, delivering sinking profits and lackluster sales in a shopping environment that has been scrambled by the rise of fast-fashion...

In this Aug. 16, 2010, file photo, shoppers enter and exit a T.J. Maxx store in Barre, Vt.

T.J. Maxx: The rare store that’s thriving while those at the mall struggle

June 10, 2018 at 4:44 p.m.

It was hard to find any shred of upbeat news in the apparel industry last week, when heavyweights Macy's, Kohl's and Nordstrom all reported disappointing spring sales results. But on...

Krispy Kreme is being taken private by JAB Beech in a deal announced May 9, 2016.

Krispy Kreme agrees to be acquired — and join a growing breakfast empire

June 10, 2018 at 5:13 p.m.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts said Monday that it has agreed to be acquired by a private investment company in a deal valued at about $1.35 billion, a move that would bring...

A prepared foods bar at a Whole Foods Market in downtown Los Angeles. At the company's new chain, 365 by Whole Foods, there will be an emphasis on prepared foods.

What to expect from Whole Foods’ new, low-price grocery chain

June 11, 2018 at 3:19 a.m.

We're inching closer to the launch of 365 by Whole Foods Market, a new, lower-priced grocery store that the organics giant is betting will help pull it out of a...

Clothing surpasses computers for online shopping dollars

June 11, 2018 at 2:22 a.m.

The rise of online shopping has played out differently in various retail categories: It arrived like a thunderclap in the books and electronics businesses, quickly scrambling how we shop for...

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