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Retail and Business

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Retailers developing mobile payments network

More than a dozen big merchants are expected to announce Wednesday their plans to jointly develop a mobile-payments network that would compete with similar services from Google Inc. and other companies, The Wall Street Journal …

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Finalists selected in Pappajohn business plan competition

Seven businesses have been selected as finalists in the 2012 John Pappajohn Iowa Business Plan Competition.

The businesses continuing in the competition are Corvida Medical; Data2Bio; FxRedux; Iowa Powder Atomization Technologies; Mockwall; Osteoceramics; and Pathovacs.…

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Urbandale Hy-Vee opens Tuesday

The new Hy-Vee Inc. grocery store at 8701 Douglas Ave. will reopen at 6 a.m. Tuesday, with a ribbon cutting planned for 9 a.m. With the exception of a pharmacy and bank branch, the store …

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Small business owners’ optimism down in July

A recent Gallup Poll showed that small business owners’ optimism declined in July, with the Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index dipping to 17, down from April’s four-year high of 23.

A year ago, the index sat at …

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NAACP to host second annual job fair

In an effort to connect candidates with positions at Central Iowa companies, the Des Moines chapter of the NAACP is hosting its second annual job fair to be held at Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue …

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Best Buy founder makes an offer

Best Buy Co. founder Richard Schulze, who stepped down as chairman this year, offered to take the electronics retailer private at $24 to $26 a share, Bloomberg reported, causing the company’s shares to surge today …

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Increase in orders triggers expansion in service industry

The U.S. service industry expanded in July at a faster pace than a month earlier, helped by a pickup in orders, according to a report, Bloomberg said.

The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) non-manufacturing index …

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Vohs takes temporary spot at taxpayers group

The Iowa Taxpayers Association (ITA) has named Richard Vohs interim president effective Aug. 13. He will work under an independent contract, according to a news release. Vohs takes the place of Nicole Crain, who resigned …

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Sales tax holiday

Iowa residents saved more than $877,000 in state and local sales taxes last year during the annual sales tax holiday, which this year will be Aug. 3-4.

Now in its 14th year, the event is …

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Unemployment claims increased nationally last week

The number of people filing for initial unemployment benefits increased last week. However, the less volatile four-week average continued to decline. 

Claims increased by 8,000, or 2 percent,  according to a release.

The four-week average …