A new trend in consumer activism--do-not-mail lists pending in 18 states --threatens to reduce deliveries of catalogues and other "junk mail" even as the souring economy, online bill paying and declining credit-card offers resulted in the first December ever in which mail volume was less than the previous year. Standard mail--advertising circulars, catalogues, fundraising appeals --actually grew to 104 billion pieces in 2007 from 101 billion in 2005 as first -class volume dropped. The explosion has not gone unnoticed by consumers. Many are asking lawmakers for a national "do not mail" registry similar to the telemarketing Do Not Call …

Quiksilver, whose wetsuits and swimwear is aimed at teenage boys and girls who identify with surf and skate cultures, is branching out this summer with a new line of clothing aimed at twentysomething women who may never catch a wave. With items from sweaters to jeans priced around $40 to $100, the line "looks back to the past, to figures like Jackie Onassis," the company says. The line will be sold by Nordstrom and at Quiksilver's 669 stores, among other outlets, and will keep the brand's name and wave-and-mountain logo. The move is more evidence that for teen-oriented retailers …

Both Kraft (Maxwell House) and Procter & Gamble (Folgers) have twice increased the price at which they sell coffee to retailers in the U.S. in the past month, highlighting the pressure food companies are under to pass on cost increases. Kraft has also lifted prices in Europe. Kraft this week became the latest company to increase prices, lifting them by 4% as wholesale prices for unroasted robusta and arabica coffee beans hit their highest levels in more than a decade. The price of robusta coffee futures contracts traded in London have soared this year, with the May contract rising …

A new study says that luxe car owners are more than twice as likely to downgrade to a hybrid than to a standard non-luxe model. The survey by Acxiom, a marketing services firm, finds that such consumers are willing to make the trade to make a statement about their commitment to the environment. Hybrids typically cost $6,000 or more than non-hybrid versions of the same models and boast better gas mileage, making them more environmentally friendly. Last year they represented 2.6% of the 351,000 vehicles sold in the U.S., per Power Information Network. The study also found …

Hanesbrands is betting that women are ready for a public discussion of a private problem: wedgies. It is launching one of its biggest ad campaigns yet for a new line--called Hanes No Ride Up Panty--that is meant to combat what the company says is women's biggest complaint about underwear. The campaign features actress Sarah Chalke--best known for her role as a klutzy doctor on the TV series "Scrubs"--who is comfortable with a very physical brand of comedy. In one spot, Chalke tries to fix her wedgie by shimmying and lunging before a pair of Hanes panties solves her problem. …

Apple is expected to announce a strategy tomorrow to use its Web-browsing iPhone to move into the corporate market. Apple will likely unveil plans to spur development of more software for the phone, to improve security on the device, and to make it compatible with popular e-mail systems such as Microsoft's Outlook. The moves will put Apple into direct competition with Research In Motion, whose BlackBerry devices now dominate the wireless e-mail market. The iPhone may well represent Apple's best chance in years of tapping the corporate market. "The next big battleground is the wireless [market …