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Business
CT's Six Remaining Big Lots Stores Are Among Nearly 1,000 Closing Nationwide: Here's When CT's Six Remaining Big Lots Stores Are Among Nearly 1,000 Closing Nationwide: Here's When
CT's Six Remaining Big Lots Stores Are Among Nearly 1,000 Closing Nationwide: Here's When Big Lots, the popular discount retailer, is officially going out of business.  The company, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September, has announced plans to close all 963 of its remaining stores nationwide, including six locations in Connecticut. The last day of business is expected to be in mid-February, according to sources familiar with the closures. While official store closing sales have not yet begun, all Christmas items are currently 50% off, offering shoppers a chance to stock up before the doors shut for good. The closures mark the end of an era for the budget-frien…

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by Cecilia Levine
Business
Luxury French Department Store Set To Open First US Location in NY Luxury French Department Store Set To Open First US Location in NY
Luxury French Department Store Set To Open First US Location in NY A touch of Parisian luxury will soon be arriving in America. Printemps, the iconic French department store, is prepares to open its first US location in the spring of 2025.  The new store, which will be located in Manhattan, will occupy 55,000 square feet within the historic One Wall Street building in the Financial District, blending classic architecture with modern elegance. Founded in 1865, Printemps is celebrated for its high-end fashion, beauty, and lifestyle offerings.  The Manhattan location aims to capture the spirit of its flagship Paris store, showcasing a carefully cu…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Shake Shack Offers Free Burgers With Purchase During Holiday Promotion Shake Shack Offers Free Burgers With Purchase During Holiday Promotion
Shake Shack Offers Free Burgers With Purchase During Holiday Promotion Shake Shack is launching a limited-time promotion offering free burgers with a qualifying purchase during the holiday season.  The “Holiday Burger Blitz” will run from Monday, Dec. 16, to Tuesday, Dec. 24, providing customers with a free burger each day when they spend a minimum of $10 and use the code BURGERBLITZ at checkout. The promotion features a different burger each day, including popular items like the ShackBurger, SmokeShack, and Avocado Bacon Burger. The schedule for the free offerings is as follows: Monday, Dec. 16: ShackBurger Tuesday, Dec. 17: SmokeShack Wednesday, Dec. …

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Popular Brand To Open New Store Celebrating 'Local Pride' In CT Popular Brand To Open New Store Celebrating 'Local Pride' In CT
Popular Brand To Open New Store Celebrating 'Local Pride' In CT A beloved brand is set to open a new retail store in Connecticut where it will offer community-inspired merchandise to residents and visitors alike. Hey Stamford!, a popular local brand known for its neighborhood pride and community spirit, will celebrate the grand opening of its new Fairfield County retail store at the Stamford Town Center at 100 Greyrock Pl., on Friday, Nov. 29 at 10 a.m.  The store will feature a curated collection of exclusive Hey Stamford! merchandise, including branded apparel and accessories that "celebrate Stamford’s unique neighborhoods and local pride," store…

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by Ben Crnic
Business
Spilled Water to Millions: How 2 CT Moms’ Bags Became Oprah-Approved Best-Sellers Spilled Water to Millions: How 2 CT Moms’ Bags Became Oprah-Approved Best-Sellers
Spilled Water to Millions: How 2 CT Moms’ Bags Became Oprah-Approved Best-Sellers It’s often said that necessity is the mother of invention, and two Connecticut moms have proven that true. What started as a soggy laptop bag disaster has grown into a thriving business, twice featured on Oprah’s Favorite Things and becoming an Amazon best-seller. Westport neighbors and best friends Katie Hill and Lisa Watkins founded WanderFull in 2022 to create a stylish, functional bag that could hold everything from a water bottle to a phone and other essentials. Click here to see WanderFull's Amazon page The idea stemmed from Hill, a former buyer for Saks Fifth Avenue, who noticed w…

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by Josh Lanier
Business
Macy's Employee Hid Up To $154M In Expenses Since 2021, Company Says Macy's Employee Hid Up To $154M In Expenses Since 2021, Company Says
Macy's Employee Hid Up To $154M In Expenses Since 2021, Company Says A Macy’s employee misstated up to $154 million in delivery expenses over several years, the company just said. The development forced the retailer to delay its third-quarter earnings report. The employee, whose name has not been released, has been fired. According to the company, the employee responsible for accounting small package delivery expenses made erroneous accrual entries to conceal the costs from the fourth quarter of 2021 through the most recent quarter. During that time, Macy’s reported a total of $4.36 billion in delivery expenses. The company conducted an independent investi…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Advance Auto Parts To Close Over 700 Stores Advance Auto Parts To Close Over 700 Stores
Advance Auto Parts To Close Over 700 Stores A nationwide auto parts retailers says it will close over 700 stores as part of “a strategic plan to improve business performance.” Advance Auto Parts, which has about 4,800 total stores, and locations in almost every state, made the announcement on Thursday, Nov. 14. The affected outlets will close by May 2025 and are made up of 523 corporate stores, and 204 independently owned locations. In addition, four distribution centers will also close. Specific locations to be closed have not yet been announced. In announcing the move, President and Chief Executive Officer Shane O’Kelly said…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Walgreens To Close 1,200 Stores Walgreens To Close 1,200 Stores
Walgreens To Close 1,200 Stores Walgreens plans to close about 1,200 stores over three years amid a decline in prescription drug payments and a rise in online competition. About 500 closures will come in 2025, the company announced in a statement released Tuesday morning, Oct. 15. Specific sites for store closures were not announced. Walgreens said its operating loss in fiscal 2024 was $14.1 billion, an increase of 104.5 percent compared to the year-ago period. Retail sales decreased 3.5 percent compared with the year-ago quarter, "reflecting a challenging retail environment and continued channel shift," Walgreens s…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
7-Eleven To Close Hundreds Of Stores 7-Eleven To Close Hundreds Of Stores
7-Eleven To Close Hundreds Of Stores Convenience store chain 7-Eleven is closing hundreds of stores in North America. Parent company Seven & I Holdings said that the 444 locations were “underperforming.” They make up about 3 percent of 7-Eleven's total of around 13,000 outlets in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Specific sites of the stores have not yet been released. In announcing the closures, the company said that 7-Eleven stores saw a 7.3 percent decline in traffic in August, saying a "pullback in consumer spending has persisted beyond prior expectations" that has affected store traffic and sales growth "as consu…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Spirit Halloween Bringing Spirit Christmas Store To CT: Here's Where Spirit Halloween Bringing Spirit Christmas Store To CT: Here's Where
Spirit Halloween Bringing Spirit Christmas Store To CT: Here's Where Spirit Halloween is decking the halls with Spirit Christmas. The pop-up Halloween costume and decor company is opening 10 Spirit Christmas stores across New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Connecticut (scroll for a list of locations). "Each store offers a unique shopping experience, brimming with a vast assortment of holiday décor, apparel, inflatables, gifts, and stocking stuffers," company spokeswoman Nikki Balles said in a statement to Daily Voice.  "Guests can meet Santa for their annual Christmas card photo and receive a free digital postcard featuring you and Santa. Wander …

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Trio Caught With Over $1K In Counterfeit Bills After Using Them At CT Store, Police Say Trio Caught With Over $1K In Counterfeit Bills After Using Them At CT Store, Police Say
Trio Caught With Over $1K In Counterfeit Bills After Using Them At CT Store, Police Say Three people were apprehended after using counterfeit money to buy items at a retail establishment in Connecticut and trying to use it at several more stores, police announced.  The arrests resulted from an incident in New Haven County on Monday, Sept. 9 that began around 2 p.m., when detectives witnessed suspicious activity involving two cars in the parking lot of a retail establishment in the area of Union Street in Waterbury, Connecticut State Police said on Tuesday, Sept. 10.  With the help of store employees, detectives pieced together that two people connected with the suspi…

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by Ben Crnic
Business
Big Lots Expands Store Closures Amid Bankruptcy Filing: Here's CT Rundown Big Lots Expands Store Closures Amid Bankruptcy Filing: Here's CT Rundown
Big Lots Expands Store Closures Amid Bankruptcy Filing: Here's CT Rundown Discount retail chain Big Lots has filed for bankruptcy as its list of planned store closures expands. It currently has around 1,425 stores nationwide. The company announced on Monday, Sept. 9 that it will sell its assets to an affiliate of private equity firm Nexus Capital Management. In announcing initial store closures late in late July, Big Lots said a bankruptcy filing could be coming. Stores in the Northeast now slated for closure are as follows: New York Delaware Avenue, Buffalo South Ogden Street, Buffalo Route 5 & 20, Canandaigua  Voice Road, Carle Place Centereach …

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by Joe Lombardi