Small Business during St. Patrick’s Day
By Xuanyan Ouyang Chicago celebrates St. Patrick’s Day again this year. Among thousands of people who are flocking to the streets and bars, there are some working for or doing their small businesses. They say few people pay attention to this kind of business, but it’s important for them to make a living. [vimeo 159410628 […]
Amazon and Uber Threatening GrubHub’s “Delivery Success Story”
By Xuanyan Ouyang GrubHub Inc.’s stock has lost more than 5 percent since UberEats was launched this week, amid a time when the online food delivery industry is getting increasingly crowded with new entrants. Uber Technologies Inc. on Tuesday announced UberEats, its first standalone app offering food ordering and delivery services. The on-demand transportation giant’s expansion into the food delivery […]
More Chinese tourists arrive, but at a slowing pace
By Xuanyan Ouyang Yuzhuo Zhang was looking at the Van Gogh’s Bedrooms exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago. He came to the U.S. mainly for an interview at a university in Maryland and to shop for his wedding in July. “The economy, both globally and in China, is not good now, so we tend to be more […]
Virtual reality helps stores fight back
By Xuanyan Ouyang Virtual reality is growing robustly in recent years, but going beyond the shiny surface of the new technology and adapting it to business is still difficult. InContext Solutions Inc., a Chicago-based virtual reality shopping and retail solutions provider, is seeking a leading spot in the industry. It increases retailers’ efficiency by testing […]
CTA’s Largest Railcar Purchase Will Bring Jobs to the South Side
By Xuanyan Ouyang The Chicago Transit Authority announced an overhaul of the city’s rail cars with an historic contract of over $1.3 billion requiring the winning bidder to build a brand-new rail car assembly plant on Chicago’s South Side, creating 170 jobs. CTA awarded on Thursday the agency’s largest car purchase contract to CSR Sifang America JV, a China-based […]
Urban Outfitters shares jump on year-end results
By Xuanyan Ouyang Shares of Urban Outfitters Inc. soared 16 percent Tuesday — even though the company’s earnings declined – as investors reacted to the specialty apparel retailer’s late-Monday release of fourth quarter results. For the quarter ended January 31, the Philadelphia-based company’s net income dipped 9.2 percent to $72.9 million, or 61 cents a […]
Growth Slowdown Hits Kroger Shares
By Xuanyan Ouyang Kroger Co. turned in year-end earnings that modestly topped analyst forecasts, but the grocery chain’s shares took a tumble after officials warned that sales growth will slow in the coming year. In the 2015 fourth quarter ended January 30, the Cincinnati-based grocer’s net earnings rose 7.9 percent to $559 million, or 57 […]
Peter Liang Protest in Chicago: Fighting for Future Generations
By Xuanyan Ouyang Parents who took their kids to the protest march for Peter Liang in Chicago said it was not just for Liang, but also for the equal rights of the future generations of Asian-Americans. Over a thousand people marched in downtown Chicago as a part of the “biggest-ever Asian-American” protest in the U.S. […]
Stock decline doesn’t dissuade Hyatt analysts
By Xuanyan Ouyang Hyatt Hotels Corp. is facing headwinds under the influence of the recent market slide, but analysts are expressing optimism about the year ahead. The Chicago-based company, which owns, operates, manages, franchises and licenses hotels, resorts branded residences and vacation properties as well as provides hospitality services, has a portfolio of 627 properties […]
Priceline’s Strong Earnings Growth Tops Expectations
By Xuanyan Ouyang Priceline’s fourth quarter earnings on Wednesday substantially beat analyst expectations, as the company continued its global expansion in the online travel industry it helped pioneer. The Connecticut-based travel giant reported net income of $504.3 million, or $10.00 per share, up from $451.8 million, or $8.56 per share in the year-ago period. Its […]
