Bloomberg Whole Foods Market’s lower-priced offshoot chain, whose future was questioned after Amazon.com Inc. took control of the company in 2017, is cautiously plowing ahead. The business, known as 365 by Whole Foods Market, opened its latest store this week in Brooklyn—its first location on the East Coast. And the division is still signing leases and plans to open at …

Bloomberg Alibaba Group Holding Ltd led a $300 million investment into India’s biggest online grocer Bigbasket, signaling that the region’s segment is firing up. Hari Menon, Bigbasket’s co-founder and chief executive officer, said the investment values the company at $950 million—just $50 million under the $1 billion valuation that would have earned it tech unicorn status. “We wanted a strategic …

Bloomberg WestJet Airlines Ltd.’s new ultra-low-cost carrier plans to expand to southern locations in the US and Mexico in the second half after it launches with Canada service in June. WestJet is counting on its Swoop brand to fend off a new breed of bargain carriers such as Flair Airlines while the fledgling carrier attempts to take market share from …

Bloomberg UK airlines’ practice of charging for assigned seats is being scrutinised by regulators amid concerns the policy—which adds as much as 390 million pounds ($550 million) to ticket prices a year—is confusing. An increase in the number of complaints by passengers travelling in groups who are forced to pay to sit together has prompted an examination of “whether consumers …

Dubai / Emirates Business Dubai Land Department (DLD) announced a new cooperation and strategic partnership agreement with Medallion Associates LTD. The agreement was signed by His Excellency Sultan Butti bin Mejren, Director General of DLD, and Masood Al Awar, Chairman and CEO of Medallion Associates LTD, in the presence of senior officials from the two companies and a number of …

Bloomberg Apple Inc. quelled investor concern with results showing solid demand for its flagship iPhone X and a pledge to put its cash hoard to work in buybacks, dividends and acquisitions. The average selling price for the iPhone, Apple’s most important gadget, was $796 in the crucial holiday quarter. That was up from less than $700 a year earlier and …

Bloomberg Tesla Inc. is planning a major expansion of its solar division at Home Depot Inc., embarking on a critical test of the mainstream appeal of its renewable-energy products. The tech pioneer, best known for its electric cars, is beginning to roll out Tesla-branded selling spaces at 800 of the retailer’s locations, the company confirmed to Bloomberg News. The areas, …

Bloomberg Motorola Solutions Inc. sees an opening to take advantage of a backlash against Chinese-made technology products with its latest acquisition. The Chicago-based company agreed to pay about $1 billion including debt for Avigilon Corp., which makes security cameras and video analytics systems for airports, railroads, cities and other commercial enterprises, according to a statement Thursday. Motorola agreed to pay …

Bloomberg The future of driverless driving looks like a giant toaster with a funny hat. That’s an approximation of a new autonomous vehicle by Nuro, a Silicon Valley startup that’s been cryptic about its business plan since it launched about 18 months ago. Nuro’s shiny, minimalist appliance on wheels doesn’t have doors or windows to speak of, because it will …

LONDON / Reuters Saudi Arabia wants to complete talks with strategic investors such as China, Japan and South Korea before deciding where to list shares in state oil company Saudi Aramco, three sources familiar with the discussions said. Saudi officials have said the government plans to sell up to 5 percent of Aramco shares on one or more foreign exchanges …