Amy Wilson reports that Ford is asking selected dealers to gear up for a "Retail Movement" for the launch of the subcompact Fiesta in North and South America next summer. Dealerships that join the movement must agree to conditions such as using social media tools, creating an in-store "Fiesta Zone" to display the car, and running grassroots marketing events. Part of the program is a dealership training program to educate employees on what small-car buyers are looking for and to create an experience that will have them spreading the news. Ford expects that Fiesta will appeal …

McDonald's COO Ralph Alvarez, considered to be the heir apparent to the CEO seat now occupied by 65-year-old Jim Skinner, caught observers off guard yesterday by resigning, effective at the end of the year, Mike Hughlett reports. The 55-year-old Alvarez cited a pair of bum knees that make it difficult to do the globetrotting necessary in his position. No replacement was named. "Seven orthopedic surgeries and years of chronic pain culminating in two total knee replacements in the past six months have made me realize it's time to move on," he said in a release. Alvarez …

Leading coupon websites reported record traffic on Cyber Monday, Jon Swartz reports, as consumers scoured the Web for dollars-off deals that they could print and present to retailers, or codes that provide them with discounts on etail sites such as Amazon.com. RetailMeNot had 1.1 million visitors, up 57% from a year ago; CouponCabin had 400,000 visitors, up 65% from a year ago; BradsDeals.com said traffic was up 174%, to 16,000 visitors per hour. "Any merchant without an aggressive coupon strategy is at a clear disadvantage," says Loren Bendele, CEO of Savings.com, which works with more than …

Pfizer CEO Jeffrey B. Kindler told a meeting of about 250 chief executives in Boston yesterday that a recent survey found two-thirds of the American people now have less trust in corporations than they did a year ago -- and their faith in government has declined even more. He warned that the "real and legitimate anger" of citizens could lead to a backlash, Lee Howard reports. "When the majority don't trust you, they will find a way to force you to change," he said. These changes, he added, could include limits on businesses' licenses to operate and might …

Mark Phelan doubles up on the wintry metaphors this morning, writing that Fritz Henderson has been on a slippery slope of thin ice since the day he first laced 'em up as CEO of General Motors. As the handpicked lieutenant of previously ousted CEO Rick Wagoner, the board viewed him frostily from the get-go, it appears. The board's decision Tuesday to keep its struggling Swedish Saab brand going for another month as it entertains offers may have been the final straw (that broke the ice?). Henderson had made it clear that he would not hesitate to "pull …