• Granola Cereal Goes National
    McCabe's Granola, the all-natural cereal launched by two University of Cincinnati graduate students in 2006, is getting a marketing and sales boost from new owners, who plan to take the product into grocery and specialty markets around the country.
  • Samsung Galaxy Notes A Hit
    The Galaxy Note has managed to ship 1 million units in less than two months. While eager U.S. customers still wait for the 5.3-inch tabletphone hybrid to arrive on their shores, the Galaxy Note has apparently struck a chord in Europe and Asia. The number of units shipped is always more substantial than the number devices out there in end-users' (preferably large) hands, but it bodes well for the device's eventual reception in the U.S.
  • Holiday Analysis: Flat Sales
    Holiday retail sales are flat, suggesting economic expansion is still struggling. J. Crew and Bloomingdale's were among those offering after-Christmas discounts of 75% or more.
  • Foxwoods And Mohegan Casinos Challenged
    Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, struggling with declining revenue and debts, have another challenge: cross-border competition. Analysts say that Connecticut's two casinos could lose as much as 20% of their business to Massachusetts and other new competitors, in a mature market that is not producing many new gamblers to replace them.
  • Gift Receipts Popular This Year
    According to NRF's 2011 Holiday Returns Survey, 61.9% of holiday shoppers say they provide a gift receipt most or some of the time, the highest percent in the survey's history. The survey also found more people are paying attention to and agreeing with retailers' return policies as nine in 10 Americans (90.1%) say they find stores' return policies to be fair, up from 88.4% last year.
  • Ousted Mercedes Exec Fights Back
    Ernst Lieb, the U.S. Chief Executive fired last October for allegedly violating Mercedes-Benz ethics policies, plans to refute the charges in a German court. The popular former executive claims, through his attorney, that he did not misuse company funds - and will fight to reverse his dismissal. The 56-year-old Lieb was fired in October (he has been replaced by former VP marketing Steve Cannon). Initially, officials declined to discuss what led to his departure, but, as TheDetroitBureau.com subsequently learned, Lieb was netted by Daimler's new ethics office, accused of being a little loose with the corporate expense account.
  • Some Fun At Others Peoples' Expense
    Admit it, there's no harm in enjoying other peoples' screwups now and then. Thus, enjoy herein the 10 biggest product flops from 2011. I'll just mention Fail Number One because, hey, if you're going to fail, fail big: Abercrombie & Fitch's Ashley Push-Up triangle top padded bra ... for kids 8 to 14. I believe in privacy and all, but I'm thinking A&F should be required -- in this case -- to send their focus-group attendee list to Interpol. Read on for the less egregious fumbles.
  • Altria Group Launches Smokers Rights Site
    The Altria Group's Philip Morris USA, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. and John Middleton tobacco companies have launched a web site for smokers advocating smokers' rights.
  • States Weigh In On Cigarette Labels
    Two dozen states and U.S. territories are weighing in on a lawsuit over proposed graphic cigarette warning labels that include a sewn-up corpse and a picture of diseased lungs, saying the federal government should be allowed to require the labels for the "lethal and addictive" products.
  • Best Buy Mia Culpa
    Best Buy Co., the world's largest electronics chain by revenue, boosted discounts after Black Friday and offered free online shipping to counter rival Amazon.com Inc. The response was greater than anticipated. Best Buy is facing unhappy customers after it was forced to cancel some orders made online in November and December. Consumers flooded Best Buy's online forums in recent days, complaining they received notices informing them that the purchases they had made weeks ago were canceled. It was Best Buy's second online problem of the holidays: the company flubbed a pre-Black Friday special for customers who spend at least $2,500 …
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