Southern California’s most-popular business stories for 2024

It was quite the year for Southern California’s business world, filled with layoffs, mergers, protests and store closings – and openings.

To review 2024, look at a dozen Southern California News Group’s business stories that drew that most readers in the year.

• No. 1: Optum laying off 364 California healthcare workers, shuttering urgent cares
• No. 2: UCLA, UC Riverside students petition to remove Starbucks from campuses
• No. 3: Bass Pro Shops’ Outdoor World finally has an opening day
• No. 4: 99 Cents Only to close all 371 of its stores
• No. 5: 63 Albertsons in California to be sold to C&S Wholesale if Kroger merger OK’d
• No. 6: Northrop Grumman cutting as many as 1,000 jobs at Space Park in Redondo Beach
• No. 7: More shops, new restaurant coming to Brea Mall this summer
• No. 8: Temecula’s wine country hits baby boomer skid as more vineyard owners opt to sell
• No. 9: Vroman’s bookstores in Pasadena, Book Soup in LA are up for sale
• No. 10: Southwest Airlines to offer buyouts at LAX, Burbank, Long Beach and John Wayne
• No. 11: Pirch sued by American Express for $33M over disputed transactions
• No. 12: Video game maker Activision Blizzard laying off 400 workers in Irvine, LA