Bacardi is opening a store in downtown Nassau, Bahamas, today that will sell all of the Bacardi portfolio of brands, plus a variety of branded accessories never available to the public in an independent retail store. Brand concept stores have grown in popularity as a way to make a direct connection with the consumer. While the bright red exterior of the two-story store features the Bacardi name and trademark, the selection inside will also include spirits from Grey Goose vodka, Bombay Sapphire gin, Dewar's Scotch whiskey, Cazadores tequila and other Bacardi-owned brands. You'll also find Bacardi red wind-breaker jackets, …

Ads featuring thin models make young women feel worse about themselves but better about the brands featured, according to a study by business professors at Villanova University and the College of New Jersey. Women in a sample of 194 college students aged 18-24 express more negative feelings about their sexual attractiveness, weight and physical condition after seeing thin models than before. The professors are still preparing a written report on results from a second phase of the research, which finds that despite the negative effect on their body image, women prefer ads showing thin models and say they are …

Although the number of consumers using organics increased from 55% to 73% between 2000 and 2006, there has been no notable change between 2006 and today, according to a survey by The Hartman Group. In fact, the report shows a slight decrease in use from 2006 to this year -- from 73% of consumer to 69%. "There is still a lot of opportunity to be found but food manufacturers now have to be a lot more judicial in where they put their innovation dollars into going organic," says Shelley Balanko, vp of ethnographic research for The Hartman Group. Consumers are …

Within the next few weeks, Pepsi plans to introduce an enhanced water drink with a sweetener that is derived from a promising but controversial herb called stevia. The SoBe Life drink will be rolled out in several Latin American markets, starting in Peru, pending approval by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the U.S. Coca-Cola, meanwhile, has teamed with Cargill to market its own stevia-based sweetener in its beverages. It plans to introduce a soft drink with the new sweetener in a few U.S. markets before year's end, according to a person familiar with the company's plans. …

Beginning next month, Delta Air Lines will implement a three-tier system in its frequent flier program. It is reinstating a feature called "last seat," which allows a frequent flier to book any remaining seat on a plane, whether or not it is designated for a member of its mileage program. Previously, Delta offered frequent-flier tickets for domestic coach travel at either 25,000 or 50,000 miles. Under the new system, travelers will need 25,000, 40,000 or 60,000 miles, depending on when they book their tickets, and where they are traveling. Alaska Airlines announced a similar three-tier program last week that …