Susan Chandler

It happens all over the country in urban areas such as Chicago's Lincoln Park, Manhattan's Soho and San Francisco's Union Street. Retail and restaurant entrepreneurs cluster along an avenue that...

Twelve years ago, it looked like a stroke of genius. Leaders of northwest suburban Hoffman Estates struck a deal to lure Sears, Roebuck and Co. from its swank corporate headquarters...

Retail executives never tire of blaming their problems on one of two things: the weather or the economy. Sometimes, such as last December, they point their fingers at both. These...

It used to be part of every smartly dressed woman's wardrobe, along with hats, gloves and matching purses: the spring coat. The lightweight outerwear often debuted around Easter and was...

The Wacker Drive reconstruction project may be a headache for downtown commuters and unsuspecting tourists, but it poses a more serious economic threat to the hotels and restaurants that line...

The good news about online retailing is that sales rose a hefty 70 percent in the recent holiday season. The bad news is that returned purchases also soared and may...

Chicago newspaper writers and commuters may be kvetching about our lousy winter weather, but local furriers are reveling in it. The mink trade has been so strong, in fact, that...

It's a challenge facing almost every downtown area around the country: How to keep residents shopping locally rather than firing up the SUV for a drive to the mall. Big...

It's back to the future for Nordstrom's designer advertising campaign. The Seattle department store chain is returning to illustrated fashion ads after a five-year hiatus when it photographed its high-end...

It's back to the drawing board for Eddie Bauer. In 1999, Eddie Bauer, the casual apparel chain that is part of Downers Grove-based Spiegel Group, thought it had a plan...