Black Friday creeps into holiday
Black Friday started a day early for many shoppers, as Thanksgiving morphed into the unofficial kickoff of the Christmas holiday shopping season. Pre-midnight openings at some retailers drove crowds directly from the holiday feast to the spending fest.
Seasonal tenants at local malls
Shoppers will spot some new seasonal tenants and kiosks at malls and shopping plazas for the holiday shopping season. Holiday seasonal kiosks at the Mall at Steamtown include vendors selling perfume, personalized ornaments and candles.
Holiday dinner cost up again
The average price for 15 items used in a traditional Thanksgiving meal increased 3.5 percent over 2011, an annual survey of three grocery chains shows. The cost of the 15 items, which includes a 20-pound turkey, totaled $57.97, up from $56.10 in 2011.
For Pennsylvania, no wine online
The nation's largest online retailer, Amazon.com, is getting into the wine business, but Pennsylvania citizens shouldn't get too excited about the prospect; shipping wine to consumers in the state is still against the law for most retailers.
Twinkie maker Hostess to close
Twinkies, Ho Hos and Wonder Bread are up for sale now that a bankruptcy judge cleared the way for Hostess Brands Inc. to fire its 18,500 workers and wind down its operations. A last-ditch effort to end a strike with Hostess' bakers union failed last week.
Gas supplies slow to NEPA
As the East Coast rebuilds from Superstorm Sandy, roads open and the holidays approach, demand for gas is increasing and supplies are even tighter, as shown by many Sheetz convenience stores running out of gas last weekend. Experts say it's not a shortage issue, but an availability issue.
Storm impacting employment data
The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment aid remained elevated for a second straight week because Superstorm Sandy forced many people to seek temporary benefits, The Associated Press reported last week. First-time applications for benefits fell by 41,000 to a seasonally adjusted 410,000.
Fracking foe sells drilling rights
Two years ago, Denise Dennis passionately decried Marcellus Shale drilling at a Philadelphia City Council meeting. But the city woman, whose family owns a historic 153-acre farm in Susquehanna County, said financial burdens led her to sign a shale-gas lease with Cabot Oil & Gas Corp.