Nestle is rolling out a product to compete with Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and supporting it with a first-ever Super Bowl commercial. "The peanut butter cup is America's favorite candy," says Jeremy Vandervoet, brand manager for Butterfinger. "This is the first time the peanut butter cup will change." Hershey, maker of No. One Reese's, say they're not worried. "Reese's is one of America's most beloved brands," says Anna Lingeris, senior manager of brand PR and consumer engagement at Hershey. She says its sales topped $1.5 billion last year, making it the top-selling confection brand. No other domestic candy brand topped …

The low wages paid to fast-food workers are costing taxpayers $7 billion a year in public assistance, according to a study, "Fast Food, Poverty Wages: The Public Cost of Low-Wage Jobs in the Fast Food Industry" released Tuesday by the UC Berkeley Labor Center. People working in fast-food jobs are more likely to live in or near poverty than any other job sector, with 43% having an income two times below the federal poverty level or less.

Chipotle Mexican Grill has launched catering service in Cincinnati for between 20 and 200 people. The ”Taco and Burrito Bowl Spread” comes with two or three meats and sides, including cilantro-lime rice, pinto and black beans, salsas, guacamole, cheese and sour cream. A “Burritos by the Box” is available for six or more. To place a catering order, customers call 800-CHIPOTLE at least 24 hours ahead of the desired pick-up time. Chipotle plans to add catering to all of its markets in the coming months.

A pair of surveys suggest McDonald's has big trouble. Goldman Sachs' survey of 2,000 consumers found McDonald's appears to be less able to convert advertising  into customer visits. The world's largest hamburger chain is spending a lot to promote things like Mighty Wings, but consumers aren't biting. "It has not had strong innovation for the past few years, and it is the restaurant consumers are least likely to recommend to their friends/family," the firm added. A separate analysis from Janney Capital Markets suggested that estimates for McDonald’s monthly sales are too optimistic near term.

Pro Football Hall of Famers Steve Young and Jerry Rice and Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford return as spokesman for Van Heusen in a multi-media effort in which the trio seeks to find one man who will spend a week as an intern in the brand's Institute of Style.

Miguel Cabrera, who won MLB's Triple Crown and the AL MVP in 2012 and is leading the Detroit Tigers in the 2013 ALCS against the Boston Red Sox, stars in a new Chrysler commercial that evokes hard work, dedication and the brand's 'Imported From Detroit' mantra, but also alludes to Cabrera's off-field transgressions involving alcohol and the police.

Jockey International is launching a "Redefining Comfort" ad campaign featuring Rachel Zoe-endorsed "Must-Haves." The point: to tout a more glamorous side of classic Jockey products and to change perception that comfort and glamour cannot coexist, said Matthew Waller, communications manager at Jockey. The brand first partnered with Zoe in July 2012.

Absolut, as it has done with other cities, claims to have captured the essence of Chicago in a new sku. The vodka maker on Monday unveiled Absolut Chcago, with the essence of olive and rosemary. The limited edition vodka comes in a bottle bearing a city-scape design. Absolut Chicago is the seventh city-inspired flavor the company has introduced. The first was New Orleans (mango and black pepper) in 2007, followed by Los Angeles, Boston, Brooklyn, San Francisco and Miami.

For the first time in its 155-year history, Macy's is doing what others do and staying open late on Thanksgiving, which makes one pity employees. Stores will open at 8 p.m. on the holiday, four hours earlier than in previous years, the company said Monday. "Black Friday is the biggest shopping event of the year and brings with it a level of fun and excitement to our customers around the nation," Peter Sachse, Macy's chief stores officer, said in a news release.

Pretzel-bun burgers aren't keeping Ruby Tuesday above water. For its fiscal quarter ended Sept. 3, 2013, the casual-dining chain reported an 11.4% plunge in same-store sales at company restaurants. That's in spite of the biggest menu refresh in the past seven years. The company introduced eight new products, four of them of the pretzel burger variety, plus three Crispy Flatbreads and a tempura green bean appetizer.