• The New York Times, Detroit News , Friday, October 10, 2008 11 AM

The financial news this morning is filled with scary words like "panic," "crash" and "dive." And the Los Angeles Times seems to almost be wagging a finger at beleaguered shopkeepers with the headline: "Retailers spread gloom with weak September sales data." But in the "go figure" department, the Detroit News reports that despite Metro Detroit's dismal economy, upscale grocers are flourishing in the region. Whole Foods Market opened in Ann Arbor, Hiller's Markets launched a second store in Commerce Township, and Holiday Market completed a $5 million renovation of its Royal Oak store.

"A trip to Europe may be out of the question, but consumers can still go to the grocery store and get the ingredients for a meal they would have eaten there," reasons Linda Gobler, president and CEO of the Michigan Grocers Association.

Meanwhile, Ann Taylor Loft is giving away free samples and coupons for Tide Total Care and Downy Total Care to customers who buy machine washable clothes, Doug Quenqua reports in the Times . Both Procter & Gamble products claim to keep clothes looking new for a longer time.

Ann Taylor also is distributing an eight-page magazine that contains helpful tips on how to keep clothes looking fresh. As happenstance has it, Tide or Downy Total Care usually plays a role.

Ann Taylor overcame an initial reluctance about the partnership --which runs from last month to next -- after deciding that it would be "incredibly relevant for our clients in this pretty tough economy," says chief marketing officer Robert Luzzi.

One wonders if the relevance factor is in inverse proportion to the Dow or to traffic at the retail chain, which earlier announced plans to close "about" 117 of its 500 stores .

Read the whole story at The New York Times, Detroit News »