Comparable sales at J.C. Penney Co.'s new shops within its stores, including those selling Izod sportswear and Levi's jeans, are running 20% higher than sales elsewhere in the stores, per CEO Ron Johnson. In a webcast for analysts, he said that since the company has only 12 of the "stores-within-stores" now, it's too early to draw conclusions. Some have been open for only three weeks and others for seven. The company plans to transform its stores into a collection of 100 specialty boutiques by 2015.

Kroger Marketplace may be soon selling T-shirts, jeans and sneakers. The company plans to test one-stop shopping with clothing at its Marketplace store in Mansfield, Ohio. It's the first time in Kroger's 129-year history that it has offered a dedicated apparel section for its customers. Nate Filler, president and CEO of the Ohio Grocers Association based in Columbus, said the test will be watched by grocers around the country.

Samsung has launched a new poke at iPhone 5 with a TV spot extending "The Next Big Thing Is Already Here" campaign, and touting the Galaxy SIII. Contributor John Ellet offers three reasons why the campaign is so effective. In brief: It actually compares features people care about; it doesn't mention Apple; and, like Apple's own Apple versus PC ads, it uses humor to blunt the hard edge of an obvious attack.

Starbucks is launching its own branded single-cup brewing machine. The Verismo System retails for $199 in Starbucks stores. It makes coffee, lattes and espresso in a single machine. There's also a $399 version at high-end stores.

Three groups sent a letter to AT&T today warning that if it goes ahead with plans to limit Apple's FaceTime video chat, they are going to file a formal complaint with the Federal Communications Commission. Last month, AT&T said it would start letting FaceTime users chat over its cellular network only if those customers bought a new data plan called Mobile Share. iPhone and iPad users who signed up for AT&T service under unlimited data plans that AT&T no longer offers to new customers are the main ones affected by AT&T's restriction. AT&T is hoping to get them to drop …

Gillette is curating digital content in a partnership with YouTube. The Gillette Football Club is a new brand channel and online video destination for soccer. The channel will cover La Liga in Spain, Italy's Serie A and Ligue 1 in France, and 50 other leadings clubs, among them Manchester City, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Olympique de Marseilles. Users will get free access to their team's latest goals and highlights and news, while the Gillette Football Club channel will also comprise exclusive entertainment programs created by production company Big Bal

Coca-Cola is looking to launch more collaborative product innovation projects with consumers and its franchisees and bottlers as part of its aspirations to become a less "secretive" company. The company is looking to solve some of its business challenges by crowd sourcing ideas from its customers in order to innovate as it looks to achieve its goal of doubling the size of its business by 2020.

With the upcoming presidential election, rising energy and food costs and job fears threatening holiday consumer shopping, retailers are starting holiday pitches early. Wal-Mart said it would begin its holiday-layaway promotion just two weeks after Labor Day -- a full month early. A few days later, Toys R Us and Kmart said they'd do away with layaway fees altogether. A Neiman Marcus in Oak Brook, Ill., debuted a decked-out display of Christmas trees, collectibles and holiday decor in August.

Sales at pizza restaurants will reach $36.1 billion this year, up 3.8% from 2011. At retail, U.S. frozen and refrigerated pizza will register sales of $4.91 billion. Ninety-seven percent of U.S. adults eat pizza, and 93% have gotten food from a pizza restaurant in the past 12 months, according to Packaged Facts' newly released report, "The Pizza Market in the U.S.: Foodservice and Retail." On a monthly basis, 27% of U.S. adults get pizza through restaurant delivery/pickup, 26% through restaurant dine-in and 24% from frozen food cases in their supermarket.

Mumbai-based Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. is opening a technical center near Detroit as part of plans to become a global automaker. The move comes several years after the maker originally promised to wade into the American market with its first light truck models. But lawsuits stemming from the canceled launch could pose an obstacle for Mahindra's future plans.