Jack Neff takes a penetrating look at how a few disgruntled consumers are making the debut of Pampers' Dry Max diaper -- which is 20% thinner and more absorbent than its predecessor and competitive offerings -- a rougher road that you would expect. "A small group of grumblers have turned what had been overwhelmingly positive reviews at Diapers.com highly negative, jammed Pampers.com with negative reviews and created by far the most active thread on forums at the PampersVillage.com site," according to Neff. One of the biggest problems is that the new diapers have …

Gerber is launching a new campaign today on "Live! With Regis and Kelly" that will "celebrate a healthier generation of babies" and represents the first time that all of the company's products are showcased together in an ad, Elena Malykhina reports. "The Gerber Generation" campaign is meant to represent a new generation of children of different backgrounds and ages. A "United Babies" spot that will air exclusively on the Regis and Kelly show through February features a montage of children of different ethnicities who grow up as the spot progresses. "Say hello to the Gerber generation. They have …

In granting a temporary injunction against the Food and Drug Administration's attempt to block the importation of electronic cigarettes, U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon writes that the ban "appears to be yet another example of FDA's aggressive efforts to regulate recreational tobacco products as drugs or devices" and calls the FDA's actions a "tenacious drive to maximize its regulatory power." The devices, also known as e-cigarettes, are the size of regular cigarettes and deliver a vaporized nicotine mixture to users, Del Quentin Wilber and Lyndsey Layton report. The FDA compares the devices to nicotine gum, which it …

Miguel Bustillo and Geoffrey Fowler take a deep look at Sears Holdings' myriad online retailing initiatives -- from Web sites that offer various delivery and pickup options to mobile apps that allow consumers to check out shoes from every angle. Some analysts feel that success or failure online could be a matter of life or death for the venerable Sears and Kmart brands, they report. The overall strategy is dubbed "Shop Your Way"; the main Sears site, for example, suggests that shoppers buy online and then pick up their purchases "within five minutes" at a nearby store. "We …

Japan's biggest cosmetics brand is buying San Francisco-based Bare Escentuals for $1.7 billion, Vivian Wai-yin Kwok reports. Bare Escentuals makes mineral-based cosmetics that are free of preservatives, talc, oil, fragrance and other harmful chemicals. About 85% of sales are in the U.S. through 800 retail outlets and 1,500 salons, as well as direct sales. CEO Leslie Blodgett and COO Myles McCormick will continue to manage the brand, which will operate as a separate division of Shiseido. The deal creates a global distribution network for Shiseido while giving Bare Escentuals an opportunity to enter the Japanese market, …

About 10 years ago, General Motors initiated a program to reverse the direction of its market share, which was hydroplaning southwards. It set an ambitious goal of 29%, which it had not realized in several years. It goosed things along by offering enticing incentives to buyers, and it kept the share of market goal in the hearts of employees by issuing gold lapel pins with the numeral 29. But as good as goals may be for keeping people focused on a target, they can also backfire, Sean Cole reports. In this case, General Motors itself seems to regret that …