In the debate over whether to risk scaring customers away from fish--which is a healthy food--or sharing government advice with consumers, Costco has landed on the side of providing more information. It has decided to post signs at its seafood counters that warn shoppers about the hazards of eating fish tainted with mercury. A scan of the literature reveals that expert advice regarding seafood generally boils down to: "You must eat fish to be healthy! But not too much, or you will harm your children!" Proponents of the signs say that they help consumers make healthy decisions. "I would …

Sean "Diddy" Combs knows he might raise a few eyebrows by calling his latest scent I Am King, but he says the phrase is a statement about all men. "We are all descendents of royalty--and if we carry ourselves and respect ourselves in that manner and believe in ourselves, then we are all kings," he says. I Am King is due as a Macy's exclusive in December before rolling out to wider distribution in February. Industry sources estimate that the scent could do upwards of $100 million globally in its first year, with about 70% of sales expected to …

A rider on the new Dubai subway system might someday be getting off at, say, the Citibank stop on the Nike line. Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority is offering naming rights for 23 of the planned 47 metro stops, as well as for the two metro lines themselves. In addition to appearing on identification signs inside and outside stations, names of the winning corporate bidders will appear on subway-system maps. Winning companies also will have the right of first refusal on traditional advertising displayed at their stations. If Coca-Cola were to win a station's name, for example, it could …

With parents concerned about increasing obesity rates and other health problems among children, the children's functional food and beverage market in the U.S. will grow to $26.8 billion by 2011, from $16.4 billion in 2007, according to a new report published by consultancy TSG. Growth will continue at double-digit rates beyond 2012, it predicts. The report identifies a number of key aspects of children's health that are being addressed through diet, including obesity, hyperactivity, brain function, digestion and immunity. Beverages currently constitute the largest segment of the kids' food and beverage market, accounting for 29% of total sales, says TSG. …

Everything about M&M's Premiums--from the formulation to the packaging, price and flavor--is different. The candies themselves are fatter and less uniform than traditional M&M's. More radically, they have no candy shell--just a shiny topcoat with a marbleized, almost metallic-looking finish in bright colors. There are five flavors--mint chocolate, mocha, triple chocolate, raspberry almond and chocolate almond--sold in a six-ounce package for $3.99. Instead of lying in a rectangular brown bag, M&M's Premiums sit in an upright cardboard box with a clear window that shows off the candy. Mars hopes to attract a young, fashion-conscious consumer to the product. TV spots, …

As the economy slows and many big retailers run out of space to open new stores, they are dusting off a tried-and-true strategy: Sell more products in the stores you have. "A lot of retailers are looking at 'How can I sell more things to the people already in my store,'" says Mary Brett Whitfield, analyst at TNS Retail Forward. Over the past year, home improvement chain Menard has set up grocery aisles in 75% of its 240 stores, so shoppers can buy milk, canned goods, boxed dinners and frozen pizza alongside roofing materials and insulation. Walgreen introduced a …