Retail

A shopping plaza in Acton featuring national brands including Trader Joe’s and Staples has been sold for $21 million.

Current tenants at the site include Sal’s Upholstery and the Milford Performing Arts Center.

The situation in Central Massachusetts, where 15.6% of named executive officers are female, largely mirrors the Massachusetts rate of 16.1% determined in a statewide census.

The state's retailers sold 232,894 pounds worth of cannabis flower to recreational consumers in 2023, about the weight of the average blue whale.

Bagel Time, a family-owned Worcester breakfast and lunch spot that operated out of a location on Park Avenue, appears set to move to the former Pleasant Street location of a fur clothing store.

Cheney was one of several small business owners who told WBJ in December the combined forces of lower consumer spending and higher costs were threatening the future of small businesses in Central Massachusetts. 

The Seattle-based retail giant bought two Friberg Parkway properties, along with a third facility in Grafton, for $26 million in 2022.

The majority owners of Charlton-based Tree House Brewing have responded to a November lawsuit filed by an individual with a minority stake in the company, claiming the passive investor has been well compensated for his initial $10,000 investment and denying allegations of wrongdoing made in his lawsuit. 

For the second consecutive month, Massachusetts unemployment numbers saw a slight increase.

Real estate remains an economic driver of the region, so expect the debate over the impact of growth to intensify in 2024.