The overwhelming majority of American adults still make more money than their parents did, but upward mobility is elusive. While 84% of Americans earn more than their parents, only about a third moved up between income classes in the past four decades, according to the study, from the Economic Mobility Project at the nonpartisan Pew Charitable Trusts. Sixteen percent of all families surveyed dropped from the income levels of their parents, and blacks were more likely to be downwardly mobile than whites.

Online shopping has had explosive growth for years, and merchants have struggled to make it replicate the in-store retail experience. But tablets like iPad and Samsung's Galaxy Tab are narrowing that gap, and driving impulse buying. Consumers are likely to spend more time shopping from a tablet than from other types of devices for several reasons, said Sucharita Mulpuru of Forrester Research in Cambridge.

With more than 10,000 stores already in operation, Dollar General Corp. sees opportunities for close to 11,000 more, including more than 1,000 in California, Rick Dreiling, chairman and CEO, told investors in Late June. He said the company operates 10,100 stores in 40 states. Dollar General anticipates tremendous growth from its entry into California, Dreiling added. "California for us will be as large as Texas someday, and we have over 1,000 stores in Texas." The company expects to open 50 stores in California this year, he said.

KFC is fighting the burger folks' encroachment into its territory. This week the chicken-category leader introduces KFC Original Recipe Bites, an answer to McDonald's addition of Chicken McBites in January and the new Spicy Chicken McBites. It's a warning shot that KFC plans to gird its loins (as it were) for battle. KFC tried Popcorn Chicken last fall-even promoting them for $2.99-but the product was overshadowed by an avalanche of chicken snack items from the burger brands. Burger King has reformulated its Chicken Tenders and added new Chicken Strips, Sonic has revived its moribund Jumbo Popcorn Chicken, Checkers/Rally's added Chicken …

Mars is stepping into the iced coffee market in the UK with the launch of two mocha latte variants under its Galaxy chocolate brand. The Galaxy Caf Double Shot Mocha Latte hits Tesco stores nationwide this month. It is Mars' first move into the iced coffee market, which it claims has grown by more than 40% in Great Britain.

Samsung Electronics defeated Apple in the patent wars when a British judge ruled Samsung's Galaxy tablets did not infringe the U.S. company's designs for the iPad because they were "not as cool." In Monday's High Court ruling, Judge Colin Birss said that Samsung's Galaxy tablets belonged to the same family as the Apple design when viewed from the front, but the Samsung products were "very thin, almost insubstantial members of that family with unusual details on the back."

Toyota President Akio Toyoda has been promising to put more "passion" into his company's products - providing a hint of this new direction with offerings as varied as the new Toyota Avalon, Scion FR-S and the 2012 Lexus GS. But the real test will come when, late this month, the maker's luxury division lifts the covers off an all-new version of its flagship LS line. Lexus will unveil the fifth generation of that flagship sedan at an "invitation-only" event taking place in San Francisco on July 30.

State Farm is adding to its Home Run Derby presence with elements that include a baseball-themed "Discount Double Check" ad that will break on ESPN tonight, which, as Tim Van Hoof, assistant VP-marketing-communications for the insurance company, explains in this Q&A, will help to enhance its MLB All-Star presence, support the firm's charitable elements and boost its year-round sports marketing strategy. "When you look at the events with which State Farm is associated - NBA All-Star Saturday Night, NBA Draft, the Home Run Derby, the NFL, college football and basketball - we treat each with respect and care," he says.

The Minnesota Wild is making the most of having signed Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. When news broke that the Wild had signed the marquee NHL free agents, the team's marketing chief John Maher had to act fast, something the nearly irrelevant team hadn't experience in some time. In a marketing coup, the team has now got area stars headlining the club for the first time: telegenic Minneapolis native in Parise and a likable Madison, Wis., product in Suter. And seat sales are already way up, many of which are higher-priced seats in the lower bowl of the Xcel Energy …

"The Dark Knight Rises" is only two weeks away from release, and marketing behind the film includes an app called "Gotham City's Most Wanted," which is exclusive to iOS-run devices, so those with iPhones and iPads can download it from iTunes. Otherwise, you have to go to gothamcitysmostwanted.com. The app uses a device's camera to project a 3D image of the character's mask onto the user's face. One can post it to a social network.