Retail

Profits at Staples, which is on the verge of buying its chief rival in the retail office supply market, fell 38.5 percent in its most recent quarter amid weaker sales, the Framingham-based company announced Wednesday.

Framingham-based TJX Cos. said strong customer traffic in the first quarter of its new fiscal year led to an 8-percent jump in profits, to $475 million, or 69 cents per share, over the same quarter last year.

A couple of months ago, a new restaurant opened in historic West Concord.A farm-to-table concept with a...

If you're shopping for property in MetroWest, does shopping influence your decision? Retailers that are considered more upscale brands — such as Cabela's in Berlin and Wegmans in Northborough — may bring with them a lot more than their products, experts say.

Massachusetts lawmakers continue to face reminders that when it comes to local economic development, liquor licenses are considered a key to success.

In the face of stagnant interest rates, investors looking for long-term returns are dropping their money into commercial real estate filled with tenants holding long-term leases.

Central Massachusetts' most complete picture of the companies and leaders that drive the region's economy begins with UMass Memorial Health Care.

Natick is among the latest towns to have approved their own set of tobacco regulations in an effort to reduce tobacco use among youth, adding to the complex patchwork of regulations that blanket the commonwealth, according to an attorney with the Retailers Association of Massachusetts.

Proposed restrictions on free samples of e-cigarettes for adults would harm retailers' ability help smokers quit, "vaping" advocates argued Thursday to the attorney general's office.

Office supply giant Staples of Framingham said Thursday it has completed the acquisition of Makr — an iOS app that enables people to design and print one-of-a-kind materials — and its parent company Happy; both based in Brooklyn, N.Y.