Naval Academy graduate charged with hate crime for tearing down LGBTQ pride flag

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — A U.S. Naval Academy graduate ripped down a tattoo shop's LGBTQ pride flag and put it in the trash, Annapolis police said in documents charging him with a hate crime. Charlie Garrett, co-owner of the Dapper Dog Tattoo Shop, told police Friday morning that the...

Jersey Mike's sandwich chain is acquired by private equity firm Blackstone for $8 billion

NEW YORK (AP) — Jersey Mike's, the quickly expanding sandwich chain, is being acquired by asset management giant Blackstone. In the transaction announced Tuesday, private equity funds managed by Blackstone will be used to acquire majority ownership of Jersey Mike's. The deal is...

Grocery chains vie for a place on Thanksgiving tables with turkey dinner deals and store brands

NEW YORK (AP) — With Thanksgiving less than two weeks away, Walmart, Target, Aldi and other grocers are competing for a place on holiday tables with turkey dinner deals and other promotions to tempt Americans who haven't recovered from recent food price inflation. Walmart, the...

Uniqlo's chief says fast fashion must change with the times

TOKYO (AP) — Forty years after its founding, Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo has more than 2,500 stores worldwide. Sales at its parent company, Fast Retailing Co., recently topped 3 trillion yen ($20 billion) annually for the first time. The name Uniqlo comes from joining the...

Retail sales up solidly in October as Americans showed continued willingness to spend

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans stepped up their spending at retailers last month in the latest sign that healthy consumer spending is driving the economy's steady growth. Retail sales rose 0.4% from September to October, the Commerce Department said Friday, a solid increase though...

Retail sales up solidly in October as Americans showed continued willingness to spend

Advance Auto Parts is closing hundreds of stores in an effort to turn its business around

NEW YORK (AP) — Advance Auto Parts is closing more than 500 stores and shedding another 200 independent locations as part of its efforts to revive its struggling business. North Carolina-based Advance Auto said Thursday that it would be reducing its U.S. footprint as part of a...

Swiss chocolatier serves up Middle Eastern flavors as ‘Dubai chocolate’ craze hits Europe

AACHEN, Germany (AP) — Hundreds of curious shoppers, some equipped with camping stools and rain gear, lined up for hours on a drizzly Thursday in the western German city of Aachen. They weren't waiting for the latest phone or luxury handbag release: they were after a taste of a new chocolate bar....

US wholesale inflation picks up slightly in sign that some price pressures remain elevated

WASHINGTON (AP) — Wholesale prices in the United States rose last month, remaining low but suggesting that the American economy has yet to completely vanquish inflationary pressure. Thursday's report from the Labor Department showed that its producer price index — which tracks...

US wholesale inflation picks up slightly in sign that some price pressures remain elevated