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  • QVC Group faces $30 million ‘unjustified termination’ lawsuit after report of potential bankruptcy

    QVC Group faces $30 million ‘unjustified termination’ lawsuit after report of potential bankruptcy

    QVC Group has been hit with a $30 million lawsuit amid broader financial problems for the West Chester-based home shopping network.

    The company is considering filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to reorganize billions in debt, Bloomberg reported last week.

    Antthony Mark Hankins, a Savannah, Ga.-based fashion designer who had a 31-year on-air career with HSN until he was terminated in July, filed the lawsuit last week against the network and its parent company, QVC Group, according to federal court documents.

    QVC may file for bankruptcy, according to a new report. Here’s what to know.

    Hankins seeks at least $30 million in damages for what his attorneys describe in the documents as an “abrupt and unjustified termination” that “reflects a pattern of discriminatory treatment, retaliatory conduct, and operational mismanagement.” The lawsuit is filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

    QVC Group spokespeople and general counsel did not return requests for comment. HSN operated out of a studio in St. Petersburg, Fla., until about a year ago, when it moved to QVC’s West Chester campus.

    A show is filmed at QVC’s studios in West Chester in 2023.

    Between 2023 and 2025, HSN executives reduced Hankins’ airtime and decreased promotion of his brand, Antthony Design Originals, to focus on a “TikTok-centered business model,” according to the designer’s lawsuit. As a result, he says his gross sales last calendar year were $13.24 million, more than $2 million less than projected. When he was more supported by the network, he said, his sales outperformed expectations.

    Hankins, who is Black, also says the company discriminated against him based on race, including by promoting him more heavily during Black History Month, firing him without cause, and immediately pulling him off the air despite decades of strong performance, according to the lawsuit.

    In the documents, Hankins also alleges breach of contract, defamation, interference with third-party business relationships, and misappropriation of his name and likeness in advertisements.

    In a Facebook post on his business page, Hankins said the lawsuit “is about standing up for the values my brand was built on, protecting my legacy, and ensuring that fairness and accountability matter — especially for creators who have given decades of their lives to their work.”

    Hankins’ attorney, Samuel B. Fineman of Semanoff Ormsby Greenberg & Torchia in Huntingdon Valley, did not return a request for additional comment.

    A QVC logo is shown outside its studios in an undated file photo. The company has been based in West Chester for more than 30 years.

    QVC has been based in West Chester for more than three decades, and merged with HSN as part of a $2 billion deal in 2017.

    The networks’ parent company, which rebranded as QVC Group last year, has struggled recently amid stiff competition from e-commerce and social-media platforms like TikTok Shop.

    Its revenue and operating income have been on the decline, and fewer people are shopping. As of September, about 7 million customers had made a purchase on the networks in the past year, down from 8.1 million in fiscal year 2023.

    The company is set to release its fourth quarter 2025 earnings report next week.

    According to Bloomberg’s report last week, company executives were talking with creditors about a potential bankruptcy, but had not made a decision on whether to file.

    A search for “QVC Group” in online court records did not show any bankruptcy filings as of Wednesday.

  • Sheetz wants to move into Delaware County, home of Wawa

    Sheetz wants to move into Delaware County, home of Wawa

    Sheetz could soon stake a claim in Delaware County, extending its reach into the Philadelphia region.

    The Altoona-based convenience store chain, which opened its first store in the Philly suburbs last week, has submitted a sketch plan application to build a 6,000-square-foot location in Chadds Ford.

    It would be Sheetz’s first outpost in Wawa’s home county.

    A Sheetz and Wawa now sit across the street from each other in Limerick Township, Montgomery County.

    If approved, the store would be constructed about five miles down the road from Wawa’s corporate headquarters, and across the county from the site of Wawa’s first store, in Folsom.

    The Sheetz would be in the Village at Painters’ Crossing shopping center near the intersection of U.S. Routes 1 and 202, according to the application. Sheetz would take over a parcel in the northeast corner of the complex that is currently occupied by a vacant former bank and a closed Carrabba’s Italian restaurant.

    Along with Sheetz’s usual offerings of made-to-order food, grab-and-go snacks, and drinks, the outpost would include indoor and outdoor seating, two mobile-order pickup windows, and six gas pumps, according to the application. It would not include a drive-through.

    Customers crowd into the indoor dining area at the new Sheetz in Limerick Township that opened last week.

    Nick Ruffner, Sheetz public affairs manager, declined to provide additional information about the proposal, saying in a statement that “it is still very early in the process.”

    Zoning changes and other approvals would be required before anything is built, Chadds Ford Township solicitor Michael Maddren said. As of Tuesday, Sheetz had only submitted the sketch plan, which was discussed at a planning commission meeting earlier this month, Maddren said.

    At the meeting, township officials did not express strong opinions about the sketch, Maddren said: “We need a little more detail.”

    Craig Scott (left) of Wayne and Dave Swartz (right) of Collegeville had breakfast at last week’s grand opening of the first Sheetz in the Philadelphia suburbs.

    If the Chadds Ford project moves forward, Sheetz could establish a foothold in three of Philly’s four collar counties: Along with its new Limerick, Montgomery County location, Sheetz also has expressed interest in building a store in Chester County.

    In the fall, company officials submitted a sketch plan to Caln Township officials, proposing a location at the site of a shuttered Rite Aid on the 3800 block of Lincoln Highway in Downingtown, according to the township website.

    After years of Sheetz opening stores in Western and central Pennsylvania, and Wawa expanding closer to Philly, Sheetz and Wawa’s footprints have increasingly overlapped in recent years.

    A Wawa opened outside Harrisburg in 2024, marking the chain’s first central Pennsylvania location. It is down the street from a Sheetz.

    Wawa made the first move: In 2024, it opened its first central Pennsylvania location within eyesight of a Sheetz. Since then, Wawa has opened 10 stores in the region, with plans to add 40 more there in the next five years.

    Both chains also have expanded beyond Pennsylvania.

    Sheetz now has more than 800 stores in seven states. Wawa has nearly 1,200 stores in 13 states.

  • Four Seasons Philadelphia is one of U.S. News’ top 75 hotels

    Four Seasons Philadelphia is one of U.S. News’ top 75 hotels

    Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center is among the top 75 hotels in the country, according to a new report from U.S. News.

    The swanky hotel that towers high above Center City ranked 74th in the outlet’s annual ranking of the top 100 hotels in the U.S.

    It came in second in the site’s Pennsylvania rankings after the Nemacolin in Farmington, about 70 minutes outside Pittsburgh. The wooded 2,200-acre golf resort ranked No. 28 on U.S. News’ national list.

    The Rittenhouse Hotel ranked third in Pennsylvania, while the Dwight D, a boutique hotel near Rittenhouse, came in fifth, and Fishtown’s Anna & Bel, which opened in 2024, ranked No. 7.

    In U.S. News’ New Jersey rankings, MGM Tower at Borgata in Atlantic City came in at No. 2, Icona Diamond Beach in Wildwood Crest took the fourth spot, and Congress Hall in Cape May came in fifth. The Reeds at Shelter Haven, located on the water in Stone Harbor, ranked seventh in New Jersey.

    Weddings at The Reeds at Shelter Haven, ranked New Jersey’s seventh best hotel by U.S. News, can take place on the hotel’s bayside lawn.

    Hotels were ranked based on their past awards and recognitions, including star ratings, as well as guest reviews, according to the U.S. News website.

    “U.S. News predominantly ranks luxury lodgings, as these are the type of accommodations travelers seek when researching the best hotels and resorts in a given destination,” company analysts write, noting that luxury options typically receive 4- and 5-star ratings from multiple expert sources.

    The Philly-area hotels on the 2026 lists were no exception.

    Want to stay in the Four Seasons Philadelphia’s new penthouse suite? It costs… $25,000 per night.

    The Four Seasons Philadelphia recently unveiled an ultraluxe floor that includes a 4,000-square-foot penthouse suite costing around $25,000 a night. Other rooms at the hotel start at more than $1,200 a night.

    Four Seasons Philadelphia, which was located in Logan Square until 2015, called itself the “highest elevation hotel” in the country when it opened at the Comcast Center in 2019.

    The dining room at Jean-Georges is located on the 59th floor of the Four Seasons Hotel, as seen in 2022.

    Below is the complete list of the U.S. News top 10 hotels in Pennsylvania and New Jersey for 2026:

    Pennsylvania

    1. Nemacolin (Farmington)
    2. Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia (Center City)
    3. The Rittenhouse Hotel (Center City)
    4. The Hotel Hershey (Hershey)
    5. The Dwight D (Center City)
    6. The Lodge at Woodloch (Hawley)
    7. Anna & Bel (Fishtown)
    8. Kimpton Hotel Monaco Pittsburgh by IHG (Pittsburgh)
    9. Omni Bedford Springs Resort & Spa (Bedford)
    10. The Inn at Leola Village (Leola)
    Congress Hall in Cape May is shown in this 2022 file photo.

    New Jersey

    1. Pendry Natirar (Peapack)
    2. MGM Tower at Borgata (Atlantic City)
    3. Asbury Ocean Club Hotel (Asbury Park)
    4. Icona Diamond Beach (Wildwood Crest)
    5. Congress Hall (Cape May)
    6. Archer Hotel Florham Park (Florham Park)
    7. The Reeds at Shelter Haven (Stone Harbor)
    8. Embassy Suites by Hilton Berkeley Heights (Berkeley Heights)
    9. Canopy by Hilton Jersey City Arts District (Jersey City)
    10. Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe (Teaneck)

    Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the location of Hotel Hersey. The hotel is located in Hershey.

  • You can be Cooper DeJean’s neighbor for $13,000 a month

    You can be Cooper DeJean’s neighbor for $13,000 a month

    For about $13,000 a month, you can rent a three-bedroom Center City penthouse in the same building as Eagles star defensive back Cooper DeJean.

    The high-end, 31-story apartment tower at 210 S. 12th St. has nine penthouses on the top two floors. They have a variety of layouts, including three-bedroom, three-bathroom apartments that range from roughly 1,650 to 1,835 square feet and cost from $12,600 per month to $13,250 per month.

    Penthouses for rent have at least one balcony and floor-to-ceiling windows that offer lots of natural light and panoramic views.

    “You are literally looking at the Philadelphia skyline from the best view possible,” said listing agent Justyna Goldman with SERHANT.

    Tenants can see the City Hall tower from this penthouse at the Center City apartment building.

    The Philadelphia metropolitan area has had a growing number of very wealthy renters in recent years. For people who like the renting lifestyle or “if someone wants to live their best life but is only staying for a short time” in Philadelphia, the penthouses at 210 S. 12th could be for them, Goldman said.

    “We offer an incredible space and incredible square footage for the price,” she said. “We are looking to make someone a very happy renter.”

    Goldman said the building could be attractive to athletes, entrepreneurs, and people working in the medical field, since hospitals are nearby. The building’s Center City location means “you’re surrounded by everything you could possibly need,” she said.

    The nine penthouses at 210 S. 12th are on the 30th and 31st floors and all have at least one balcony.

    The penthouses include walk-in closets and spacious living areas and kitchens.

    Parking spaces are available in an automated underground parking garage with electric vehicle chargers.

    The 376-unit apartment building began leasing in the summer of 2024 and is at the former site of the 12th Street Gym, which was a landmark in the Gayborhood.

    The building’s exterior was designed by the architecture firm RSHP for New York-based developer Midwood Investment & Development.

    An amenity lounge on the 30th floor of 210 South 12th includes a fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows with Philadelphia skyline views.

    Tenants have access to amenities such as an outdoor pool, a fitness center, yoga and wellness studios, a game room, lounges and co-working spaces, outdoor terraces, a pet spa, and a dog park.

    The tower includes studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments. Studios start at $1,968, one-bedroom dens start at $2,300, one-bedroom units start at $2,411, and two-bedroom units start at $3,809.

    The building’s website is currently advertising rent deals. The property is offering 2½ to 3 months free for leases longer than a year.

    Salon Republic, which offers salon suites for rent, is operating in one of the tower’s retail spaces and more retailers are expected to be announced soon.

    The views make the penthouses at 210 S. 12th special, said listing agent Justyna Goldman with SERHANT.
  • LOVE Park’s saucer could soon get a reboot. For real this time, the city says.

    LOVE Park’s saucer could soon get a reboot. For real this time, the city says.

    The saucer in LOVE Park finally has a timeline for its revival.

    After years of seeking ideas from business owners and other Philadelphians, city officials expect work on the historic building to begin in May, the city’s Parks & Recreation Department says.

    But officials are still working to select a partner for the project.

    In May, the city issued a “request for expressions of interest” (RFEI) from “visionary businesses, particularly those in food, beverage, retail, or hospitality,” who wanted to partner on the saucer.

    City officials said the interest exceeded expectations, with more than 50 applicants submitting ideas. They included “coffee and cafe concepts, casual food offerings, beer garden hybrids, and informal meeting spaces,” according to Parks & Recreation spokesperson Ra’Chelle Rogers.

    Among applicants, there was a focus on “flexible, welcoming concepts that function as a true public amenity, encouraging people to meet, linger, and connect in the park,” Rogers said.

    The saucer building in LOVE Park is pictured in March 2019, amid early renovations for a bar-restaurant concept that never panned out.

    In light of the demand, the city is moving into its next stage, requiring prospective partners to visit the saucer at 3 p.m. on Feb. 18 and submit a proposal online by March 18.

    Prospective partners do not need to have submitted an idea in the spring, Rogers said. Any experienced food, beverage, hospitality, or community operator with the capacity to “generate sustainable revenue to support the park” is encouraged to apply, Rogers said.

    “The saucer has always been envisioned as a people-first space — one that complements the park, supports programming, and welcomes both residents and visitors,” said Susan Slawson, the city’s parks & recreation commissioner. The RFEI process has given officials “confidence to move forward with a flexible, inclusive model designed for the way people actually use LOVE Park.”

    The saucer, also referred to as the UFO, was added to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places last year. Built in 1960, the building predates LOVE Park, and first served as the city hospitality center. It later housed offices for park staff.

    An undated file photo of LOVE Park’s saucer building when it served as the Philadelphia Visitors Center.

    For more than a decade, however, the circular structure near 16th Street and JFK Boulevard has largely sat dormant (the building has opened to the public for the Festival of Trees, a Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia fundraiser, during recent holiday seasons).

    As part of LOVE Park’s rehabilitation in the late 2010s, the saucer got a $5.6 million facelift, making it “structurally brand new,” as Rogers described it in May.

    The city solicited proposals for a restaurant to fill the space, and selected Safran Turney Hospitality, the group behind a slew of popular restaurants on 13th Street. They planned to open a bar-restaurant called Loveluck that would seat about 50 people indoors and another 150 outside.

    In March 2019, city officials applauded the early construction of a bar-restaurant that was set to fill LOVE Park’s saucer building. The pandemic later caused the restaurateurs to bow out of the project.

    Then the pandemic happened, and the group bowed out of the project in 2022. A few months later, the city issued another request for proposals from experienced restaurateurs interested in signing a 10-year lease. That request did not result in any bids, Rogers said in May.

    As for this latest request process, city officials said they plan to select a partner by April, and begin work a month later. The timing could coincide with Philly’s celebration of America’s 250th birthday, as well as the city’s hosting of World Cup matches and the MLB All-Star game.

    The office of Councilmember Jeffery Young, whose district includes LOVE Park, is set to fund “key utility and infrastructure improvements” at the saucer, according to the city statement, and public grants are being sought to offset other upfront costs.

    “Bringing an active, public-facing partner into the saucer is a milestone for LOVE Park and for Philadelphia,” Young said. “I’m proud to support improvements that make the saucer a welcoming hub for years to come.”

  • American Airlines announces a new European route out of PHL

    American Airlines announces a new European route out of PHL

    American Airlines is planning a new route to Porto, Portugal, from Philadelphia.

    The route is expected to become available in summer 2027, pending government approval, the airline noted in a news release Thursday.

    The flight will be offered on a new aircraft — the Airbus A321XLR — that American just began operating in December. According to PHL chief commercial officer Kate Sullivan, having that aircraft is key to the new route availability. The aircraft will feature “Flagship Suite” seats, which were recently introduced on some PHL flights.

    “Not only is seeing a summer 2027 route announced so early exceptional, the A321XLR will enable American to serve markets like Porto that have strong demand but may not support daily flights from wide-body aircraft,” Sullivan said. “Porto is just the beginning of what this aircraft will unlock for our region’s residents and visitors.”

    This will be the first time that Porto is offered as a direct route out of PHL, airport spokesperson Heather Redfern confirmed Friday. Sullivan said the addition is “outstanding news for PHL.”

    “Porto is exactly the type of new market the Airbus A321XLR enables us to serve,” Brian Znotins, a senior vice president at the airline, said this week at a conference.

    American has recently added several other direct flights from PHL to Europe. In 2024, the airline launched routes connecting Philadelphia to Copenhagen, Denmark; Nice, France; and Naples, Italy.

    The airline also launched a bus service in 2022 to shuttle passengers from airports in the region to PHL to take a flight. And it opened new lounges at PHL last year, featuring two bars, private phone rooms, and showers.

    American was among the top 10 largest employers in Philadelphia in 2025 and is the largest airline by passenger volume operating out of PHL. In 2024, the airline carried nearly 20 million passengers through the airport.

  • Burlington plans to open another South Philadelphia location with new store format

    Burlington plans to open another South Philadelphia location with new store format

    A new Burlington Stores location is coming to South Philadelphia.

    The New Jersey-based discount retailer on Monday announced plans to open a store this spring in a shopping center on South 24th Street, with discount retailers Five Below and Ross Dress for Less nearby.

    Between 65 and 75 people are expected to be employed there, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal.

    Burlington got its start in 1972, opening its first store on Route 130 in Burlington Township under the name Burlington Coat Factory. Since then, it has grown to over 1,000 locations and has shed “coat factory” from its name, reflecting the larger product line it carries including apparel, shoes, and home decor.

    The Fortune 500 company reported $10.6 billion in net sales in 2024.

    Burlington headquarters is shown last year in
    Burlington City.

    Burlington started implementing a smaller store model in 2017. About a decade ago its stores were roughly three times larger than the 20,000-square-foot new ones.

    New stores feature a “refreshed format, including wider, more organized aisles and bold signage,” according to a company news release this week. Many existing stores have been remodeled to fit this format, and all sites are expected to have transitioned by the end of the year.

    Burlington has been expanding in recent years. In 2023, Burlington opened its 1,000th store, and that same year, the discount retailer took over Bed Bath & Beyond locations after that company declared bankruptcy. In 2024, Burlington reported opening 100 stores.

    The discount retailer has over 40 stores in Pennsylvania, including seven stores in Philadelphia and several more in the surrounding counties. Another South Philly Burlington is located at Whitman Plaza on Oregon Avenue, roughly two miles from where the new site will open.

  • Atlantic City is getting more southbound flights on Breeze Airways

    Atlantic City is getting more southbound flights on Breeze Airways

    New flights will take off soon from Atlantic City International Airport.

    Breeze Airways, an airline launched in 2021, is adding two direct flights from Atlantic City to Charleston, S.C., and Raleigh-Durham, N.C. A flight with a stopover is also being added to Tampa, Fla.

    “Atlantic City is not only a great destination for travelers but also a gateway to many other metro areas,” David Neeleman, founder and CEO of Breeze Airways, said in a statement Wednesday. “We know Atlantic City will be a welcome addition to our guests in Charleston, Raleigh, and Tampa, and we look forward to introducing our new guests in Atlantic City to Breeze.”

    Breeze, which is focused on underserved markets, will start flying to the new destinations this spring. The Charleston route will begin May 6 and operate on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Raleigh-Durham and Tampa routes will begin June 11 and be offered on Thursdays and Sundays.

    Travelers can book their flights at the Breeze Airways website. The airline ranks its ticket tiers from a “No Flex Fare” to “Nice” to “Nicer” to “Nicest” depending on flexibility to change or cancel travel, as well as bags included in the fare, legroom, and other features. A roundtrip ticket to Charleston from June 17 to June 20 costs $118 with no changes and no carry-on bag as of Jan. 29.

    “For an airport of our size, expanding service in a way that directly benefits our passengers is especially meaningful, and this announcement reflects our continued focus on delivering a simple, accessible, and customer-friendly travel experience,” Stephen Dougherty, executive director of the South Jersey Transportation Authority, said in a statement.

    Breeze has over 170 routes including seasonal and year-round flights. The airline’s founder, Neeleman, is also the founder of JetBlue. Breeze reported its first full quarter of operating profit in 2024, the Wall Street Journal reported last year.

    Atlantic City’s airport is also serviced by Spirit Airlines, American Airlines, and Allegiant.

    American launched a program in 2022 to shuttle passengers on a bus from the Atlantic City airport to Philadelphia International Airport to catch flights. Spirit has seen a decrease in scheduled flights from Atlantic Cityin recent years and announced in 2024 that it would close its crew base there but continue servicing the airport. Allegiant started offering flights out of Atlantic City last year.

  • N.J., Pa. to see more than $200M restored for EV chargers in legal win over Trump administration

    N.J., Pa. to see more than $200M restored for EV chargers in legal win over Trump administration

    New Jersey and Pennsylvania are poised to regain roughly $244 million in federal funding for electric‑vehicle charging stations after securing a legal victory over the Trump administration.

    New Jersey announced this week that it expects $73 million to be reinstated.

    Pennsylvania had planned on $171.5 million in EV‑charging funds last year, according to Alex Peterson, a spokesperson for Gov. Josh Shapiro.

    “This ruling guarantees that these obligated funds cannot again be interrupted,” Peterson said.

    Federal EV charging funds have been paused. So how is Pennsylvania able to keep on building?

    On Friday, a U.S. District Court sided with 20 states that filed suit last year demanding restoration of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program (NEVI). New Jersey and Pennsylvania were among the plaintiffs.

    In her decision, Judge Tana Lin, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, prohibited the Department of Transportation from withholding funding for approved state EV‑charger deployment plans.

    Lin concluded from Seattle that the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) overstepped its authority by halting funding already authorized by Congress. She described the agency’s action as arbitrary and capricious.

    “This win puts New Jersey back on track for $73 million in funding unlawfully stripped away through the Trump Administration’s illegal actions,” Jennifer Davenport, New Jersey’s acting attorney general, said this week in a statement. “New Jerseyans want sustainable transportation options.”

    New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware were among plaintiffs in the suit against a Trump administration freeze on the $5 billion. It’s unclear whether Trump administration officials will appeal.

    The states’ legal challenge stemmed from an executive order President Donald Trump signed on his Inauguration Day to eliminate EV mandates — which the suit states never existed.

    Regardless, the suit stated, the administration used the order to “immediately pause the disbursement of funds” for EV infrastructure appropriated through the Inflation Reduction and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs acts signed by Biden.

    Other states that joined the suit included Washington, Colorado, California, Arizona, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

    Davenport called the Trump administration’s refusal to spend funds approved by Congress “unlawful.”

    This story has been updated to include newer figures on Pennsylvania’s plan to fund EV charging infrastructure.

  • Temple bought the site of a former McDonald’s for $8 million

    Temple bought the site of a former McDonald’s for $8 million

    Temple University last month bought a vacant property at the site of a former McDonald’s near its North Philadelphia campus for $8 million, according to property records.

    The university is still developing plans for the 48,640 square-foot lot at 1201-1219 N. Broad St., by Girard Avenue, a spokesperson said.

    It’s adjacent to the Temple Sports Complex, which features two fields for soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey. That location “provides an opportunity to implement the vision of our campus safety and physical environment plan,” Steve Orbanek said.

    The transaction was earlier reported by the Philadelphia Business Journal.

    The restaurant franchise was demolished in 2023.

    Temple’s latest acquisition comes as the university has expanded its footprint in recent months along Broad Street.

    In early 2025 the university paid $18 million for Terra Hall, a former University of the Arts building on South Broad Street. The building will be Temple’s Center City campus. And last fall Temple bought jazz bar New Barber’s Hall on Oxford Street for $2.3 million, the Business Journal reported.