Sylvia Maria Gross reports that with the help of the Mexican government, a new restaurant association is trying to encourage the spread of more authentic cuisine.

"This is the first big customer-service tool we've given our associates in a very long time," says CIO Matt Carey, who came from eBay in 2008. He dates Home Depot's current use of technology to circa 1991.

Customers who buy marked Dr Pepper bottles and fountain cups will be able to download exclusive online content for five of EA's most popular game titles -- and more games will be added during the course of the year-long promotion, Brian Quinton reports. Dr Pepper marketing vp Tony Jacobs says the promotion creates "brand affinity" and "gives fans an unbelievable gaming experience that they can only access through Dr Pepper." For its part, EA senior vp of global media sales Elizabeth Harz says "consumers get free game content and a whole new way to experience the Dr Pepper …

Subaru will run at least seven "low cost" TV commercials during the Puppy Bowl that will air on the Animal Planet channel opposite the Super Bowl on Feb. 7, Jean Halliday reports. The spots feature dogs as drivers and passengers in funny, humanlike situations. The ads are part of a new blitz themed "Dog Tested" and are part of Subaru's nearly year-old sponsorship of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, according to CMO Tim Mahoney. Subaru dealers have staged nearly 200 pet adoption events, Mahoney says, and the dogs in the ads are all …

Following an earlier announcement by US Airways, both Delta and Continental will increase fees for checking luggage, Nathan Hurst reports. The first piece of luggage will run $25 if checked at the airport, up from $15, and a second will cost $35, up from $25. There's a slight discount for paying the fees in advance online. Analysts expect carriers such as American and United to join the party soon, leaving Southwest Airlines mostly alone in its policy of two free pieces of luggage per passenger. Although Southwest has made great hay of that distinction in its recent marketing …

Walgreens Optimal Wellness, a program that will involve pharmacists coaching customers who have Type 2 diabetes, will be announced today during the drugstore chain's annual shareholders meeting in Chicago, Bruce Japsen reports. Direct and indirect costs of diabetes to the U.S. health care system are more than $130 billion a year, Japsen writes, including emergency room visits, extended hospital stays and absenteeism. "One of the best ways to slow down the acceleration of the disease is to stay well," says Colin Watts, Walgreens' vp and chief innovation officer. If an employee's health plan or employer has a …

Mirroring moves by other grocers, Supervalu is reducing the number of items it offers per store by as much as 25%, Timothy W. Martin reports. It will feature store-brands more prominently and also, of course, expects to extract lower prices from vendors. Brand names won't be disappearing from the shelves but the wide variety of available sizes of toilet tissue, to cite one curious example, will be trimmed, according to CEO Craig Herkert. Supervalu operates Jewel, Albertsons, Save-A-Lot and Cub Foods and several other chains. "I don't think the consumer is going to …