Business & Economy

Claire’s, the longtime mall favorite known for its tween jewelry and accessories, is closing stores and liquidating inventory after filing for bankruptcy for the second time in seven years. Once a retail powerhouse, Claire’s grew annual sales from $846 million in 2000 to $1.48 billion by 2007. However, shifting shopping habits and mounting debt led […]

Reportedly, Lululemon is suing Costco for selling “confusingly similar” replicas of its jackets, sweatshirts, and pants, alleging trade dress infringement. Costco’s “knockoff” designs are accused of violating trademark law by confusing consumers into believing they are authentic Lululemon products. Lululemon describes itself as a “path-breaking” apparel company that fiercely defends its products and intellectual property […]

When it comes to the ease of paying off a home mortgage, location matters. Personal finance site Smart Asset did a survey of the 40 largest metro cities in the U.S. to determine which cities are the easiest and hardest to succeed in paying off a mortgage. The site also analyzed each city’s income-to-housing payment ratio. […]