Despite some solid gains in stores serving affluent shoppers, most consumers curbed their shopping enthusiasm last month, with major retailers reporting uneven July results. While results in the early spring months were strong, buoyed by pent-up demand, "we are coming out of that blip and seeing very different levels of growth," says Frank Badillo, senior economist for Kantar Retail. "On one hand, we're seeing the ups and downs of the stock market have a definite impact, and sales at stores like Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom were very strong. On the other, persistent concern about the job market is affecting …

Smart Balance, Inc. reported a more moderate sales loss than projected for its second quarter, and updated investors on the progress of strategic initiatives aimed at repositioning the company as a multi-category, multi-brand "health and wellness innovation platform." Smart Balance saw total net sales decline by 4.4%, to $55.6 million, in Q2.  However, the company had projected a decline of 6% to 7% (to $54 million).  The company projects full-year net sales growth in the range of 2% to 4% and cash operating income in line with that of the prior year, excluding one-time items. The Q2 sales …

Google reportedly has agreed to purchase Slide, in a deal expected to be announce later this week. The purchase price is being reported between $182 million and $228 million. MediaPost had predicted in April the Mountain View, Calif.'s next big thing would be video and social games. This acquisition may become another stepping stone in the process. But that stone may include many more steps. Google also has picked up Instantiations, known for its Java/Ajax development tools and Google Web Toolkit (GWT) designer.

Google and Verizon have reached an agreement on net neutrality principles, according to Bloomberg. The companies reportedly have agreed that Verizon won't degrade traffic on its wired network, but that the company is free to do so on its wireless network. It's not clear what impact this potential agreement will have on the Federal Communications Commission or on Congress, but one possibility is that the deal will help shape any potential laws or regulation that emerge. Already net neutrality advocates are condemning the pact. "Two of the largest companies – Google and Verizon – have reportedly …

Facebook announced Wednesday that it's extending the same privacy controls it introduced this spring to Facebook's 150 million mobile users. "As of today, you can use these controls no matter where you are, what kind of device you have access to, or when you want to make a decision about your information," stated a Facebook blog post on the topic. Users can set privacy controls on mobile by going to m.facebook.com/privacy or by going to the Settings page and clicking the "Change" link next to the words "Privacy Settings." The controls allow people to share …

Allstate is partnering with the Jonas Brothers to urge teens to "X the TXT" while driving. The auto insurer's social initiative will promote the music group's "Road Dogs" softball tour. The 12-city tour kicks off Aug. 6, in Joliet, IL. "Road Dogs" started when the Jonas Brothers played recreational softball games while on tour in 2009. This year, they will be playing seven innings of softball at minor league stadiums throughout the country. At each venue, they will work with Northbrook, Ill.-based Allstate to educate fans about the dangers of texting and driving. All events are free and …

Just 10 months into its launch, global sales of Starbucks' Via Ready Brew instant coffee have reached $100 million, according to the company. Not known for revealing specific product sales data, Starbucks in this case chose to trumpet the Aim milestone in a press release.  The announcement emphasized that Via's U.S. sales alone already are well in excess of $50 million, qualifying the launch as a "mega-hit" as defined by SymphonyIRI Group (which awards the designation to U.S. products achieving that sales threshold within their first year). Via ranks among the top 3% of all new U.S. …

Race on Sunday sell on Monday works. A new study from Rochester, MI-based Foresight Research, "2010: Automotive Marketing Return On Investment," which culls some five years worth of data, shows among other things that last year 10% of all new vehicle buyers surveyed attended one or more motorsports races in the 12 months prior to their purchase. Twenty five percent of all new vehicle buyers surveyed said they watched at least one motorsports race on television in the same time period. Of those who watched motorsports on TV, the average number of races watched was 11. "New vehicle buyers who …

Despite some early bullish predictions for this year's back-to-school spending, forecasters are now seeing some definite weak spots. Nielsen is estimating a modest 1.7% gain in the office and school supplies category, to $.2.6 billion. But that includes a 5.3% decline in units. "In this jobless recovery, consumers continue to be really mindful around consumption," James Russo, VP/ Global Consumer Insight for Nielsen, tells Marketing Daily. "While there are a couple of exceptions, consumers on the whole are still very restrained." One exception, he says, is likely to be consumer electronics, "including next-generation cell phones, iPads, and new …

While Olive Garden and Applebee's pulled the largest number of votes (9% each) when consumers were recently asked to name their favorite casual dining/family chain, The Cheesecake Factory emerged as the winner (13%) when the results were indexed to factor in chains' comparative number of locations. The favorites voting was part of a restaurant outlook study from Market Force Information, which also found diners' motivations for patronizing casual dining and family formats to be more driven by social and family factors than convenience. On a straight-number-of-votes/non-indexed basis, Olive Garden and Applebee's were followed by Red Lobster (7%); Texas …