How much does advertising boost Great Britain's economy? According to an exclusive report from the Advertising Association, it contributes GBP100 billion a year. The three-year study by the AA and Deloitte claims that for every GBP1 spent on advertising in the UK, GBP6 is generated for the wider economy. Annual ad spend stood at GBP16 billion in 2011, meaning ads added at least GBP100 billion to the UK's gross domestic product.

Loyalty cards are all the rage these days. Not only do cost-conscious consumers like to save a buck or two, especially in tough economic times, but the customer data they can generate turns out to be a very useful thing for companies to have. Today, Dunkin' Donuts said it would get in on the action, launching its own loyalty program later this year. Competitors like Starbucks and Panera Bread have reported significant sales boots from their own programs, and Dunkin' has already released a mobile app that lets customers pay using their smartphones.

Timed with the release of EA's Dead Space 3, Skullcandy subsidiary Astro Gaming is introducing themed versions of its A30 and A40 gaming headsets. The addition of six custom magnetic speaker tags feature tricked-out artwork taken directly from the game. Available on February 5th for $210 (A30) and $260 (A40), both headsets feature Dolby 7.1 virtual surround, a swappable cable system and cross-platform support for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Tags as a standalone purchase are $20 (A30) and $25 (A40) each.

Are Gillette and Schick, which account for about 90% of the replacement-blade market, making sure razors that don't last more than a week to keep replacement revenue going? Consider that an eight-pack of Gillette Mach3 Turbo shaving cartridges runs $24 at Walgreens. With a once-per-week cartridge change that's $156 each year on razor blades. Jeff Grant, president of Coating Services Group, a Lakeside, Calif.-based company that makes scalpels for medical use says companies could make a ceramic blade that maybe costs $100 and lasts for years, notes columnist David Lazarus.

Best Buy Canada has posted a list of Best Buy and Future Shop stores that are closing in Canada. The company says that, as the second phase of its "Renew Blue" strategy, it plans to open "state-of-the-art new Future Shop Small-Concept web stores and new Best Buy Mobile locations across Canada, where and when appropriate" over the course of the next three years. Said a Best Buy U.S. rep, "We remain focused on transforming our business to better serve our customers and improve our performance. These closures are part of a broader strategy to resize our retail footprint and optimize …

conIn 2005 retailers accused Visa and MasterCard of violating anti-trust law by fixing swipe fees. On Thursday the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Court ruled on Thursday that an appeal of the proposed class-action swipe fee settlement with Visa Inc., MasterCard Inc. and other financial institutions should wait until objections to the settlement are filed and heard. That would be in September, per NACS, the Association for Convenience and Fuel Retailing. Said NACS Chairman Dave Carpenter, president and CEO of J.D. Carpenter Companies Inc. "The proposed settlement does little to address the broken system and could, in fact, …

The automaker has taken its Super Bowl XLVII commercial - in which a group of young but tough kids take on older neighborhood bullies - to social media, encouraging people to form their own teams for an opportunity to be inside MetLife Stadium next season for Super Bowl XLVIII.

Kaley Cuoco, star of CBS's "The Big Bang Theory," gets to channel Barbara Eden from the 1960s TV show, "I Dream of Jeannie" in Toyota's humorous 60-second Super Bowl XLVII spot. In "Wish Granted," Cuoco is the genie who comes with a new Toyota RAV4, granting every wish a family requests - although not always to their liking. The spot is scheduled to air during the first quarter of Sunday's game on CBS, part of Toyota's Super Bowl Sunday marketing plan that also includes two other new spots - one highlighting the Tundra Endeavour and the other focusing on the …