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ARTICLES

Used bookstore plans to put radical reading ‘out in the open’

A longtime used bookseller is debuting a “lovingly curated” selection of books and records to a new retail location in Grand Rapids’ Midtown neighborhood.  Black...

Celebration Cinema parent company names 3rd generation leader to CEO role

Family-owned movie theater chain Studio C has announced the appointment of J.D. Loeks as its next CEO as part of a succession plan at...
Macy's storefront

Macy’s is closing 150 stores nationwide. Can the Grand Rapids market support 2?

As department store giant Macy’s Inc. plans to close about 150 stores nationwide to shave operating costs, real estate experts question whether the local...

Boat dealer relocates to Comstock Park, plans multi-million dollar investment

Family-owned boat retailer Hall’s Sports Center has expanded its Grand Rapids presence with a move to West River Drive, where founder and CEO Harold...
Kutsche’s Hardware

162-year-old hardware store in Grand Rapids changes hands

Chip Brander sold the 162-year-old Kutsche’s Hardware store last month, but he’s not sure he’ll ever fully adapt to leaving something he’s been involved...

Union workers ratify new Meijer contracts with wage increases, more time off

Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 951 voted this week to ratify new contracts with Meijer that contain improvements to...

The lowly pontoon is getting a makeover for Michigan’s millennial boat buyers

Michigan boat dealers say 2024 may be the year of the pontoon as millennials enter the boating market at an entry-level price point. Crain’s Grand...
Music shop exterior

New recording studio, clothing shop opens on South Division

A new retail space offering upcycled and original designs also aims to reinvigorate the music scene in Grand Rapids’ Heartside neighborhood.  The brainchild of local...

Gordon Food Service taps company veteran as new CFO

Gordon Food Service Inc. this week named company veteran Ryan Fischer as its next chief financial officer.  Fischer succeeds Jeff Maddox, who retired after 20...

Grand Rapids-area theater chain creates premium movie experience with new upgrades

A family-owned movie theater chain in West Michigan is betting a major renovation will breathe new life into its property in Gaines Township. Grand Rapids-based...

Local family-owned Hispanic grocery plots regional expansion

As Supermercado Mexico moves forward with a $4.1 million project to add a fourth store by repurposing a vacant building on Grand Rapids’ southwest...

Nearly century-old Kalamazoo car dealer group sells to SE Michigan firm

LaFontaine Automotive Group on Monday acquired Orrin B. Hayes Inc., a dealership group in Kalamazoo, Mich., giving the dealership group its first German luxury...
Shinola interior

City leaders, community celebrate downtown Grand Rapids Shinola opening

A couple hundred people turned out for a first look at Shinola Detroit’s new Grand Rapids storefront Friday morning, which city leaders are calling...

Michigan’s weed market topped $3B in 2023. That’s more than $300 per person

Michigan ended 2023 as the nation’s unofficial weed king. In 2023, the state’s cannabis industry sold nearly $3.06 billion in medical and adult-recreational use marijuana...
Grand Rapids dispensary

Cannabis operators report sales spike ahead of forecasted blizzard

West Michigan residents are stocking up on the essentials ahead of expected blizzard conditions Friday and into Saturday: Food, water, batteries — and cannabis. Dispensary...

Man charged in mPerks cybercrime scheme that cost Meijer at least $1M

LANSING — A Michigan man is facing charges for allegedly selling Meijer customers’ mPerks account information to others in a multi-state scheme that cost...

Woodland Mall parent company weighs ‘financial restructuring’ as debts mount

The parent company and owner of Woodland Mall in Kentwood is facing steep financial headwinds that could cause it to go through another round...

Russo family continues legacy with new restaurant, market at Tanger Outlets

John Russo has jumped back into the restaurant and retail game with the opening of Russo Ristorante and Mercato, which he’ll operate alongside his...

Meijer, tech firm head to arbitration in dispute over self-checkout software

A software developer is accusing Meijer of stealing its intellectual property for self-checkout systems deployed in the Walker-based supercenter retailer’s stores. The allegations surfaced in...

Gordon Food Service store expansion helps Ohio city eliminate food desert

West Michigan-based food distribution giant Gordon Food Service Inc. is growing its presence in Ohio with a newly renovated and expanded full-service grocery store...
Screen printer storefront

Screen printer lifting up formerly incarcerated people opens retail space  

A custom screen printing company advocating for and employing formerly incarcerated people has opened its first brick-and-mortar retail space on Grand Rapids’ far south...

Union leaders ‘optimistic’ about prospects in Meijer contract negotiations

Leaders at United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 951 think the timing should favor its more than 25,000 members in Michigan who...
Shinola storefront

Shinola delays downtown Grand Rapids opening to early 2024

Shinola has delayed plans to open a retail storefront in downtown Grand Rapids until early 2024, citing delays caused by a materials shortage. In an...
Monroe Center stores

Downtown officials retool grant program after string of retail closures

The $61,000 that Grand Rapids’ Downtown Development Authority recently approved for Shinola’s new storefront is part of a retail grant program that officials temporarily...

DeVos-owned Fox Motors acquires Up North powersports dealer

Fox Powersports is broadening its portfolio with the acquisition of Peacock Limited, a powersports dealership located in Lake County on M-37 north of Baldwin.  In...