JC Penney has its old CEO, Mike Ullman, in charge of the company again. Abundant sales and coupons have returned, as have brands that disappeared for a spell. In many ways, the JC Penney of old is back. Whether this is a good thing for the company remains to be seen.
Companies & Industries
After The Office, Dunder Mifflin Will Live On in Every Office
Dunder Mifflin paper is now an actual product you can buy. It’s an example of the popular marketing strategy of reverse product placement.
Airline Baggage Fees: On the Rise — Yet More Passengers Deem Them ‘Reasonable’
Even as overall baggage fees have increased, some of the nation’s biggest airlines aren’t collecting as much as they did a couple of years ago. Perhaps even more surprisingly, there’s been a sharp rise in travelers who aren’t …
Peak Traffic Ticket Season Is Here: Police Pushed to Give More Seat Belt Violation Citations
For the two weeks around Memorial Day, there’s more reason than normal to buckle up: Police around the country are stepping up enforcement of seat belt laws and plan on giving out double the usual number of tickets.
A Q&A With the Real-Life Maker of ‘Arrested Development’s’ Bluth’s Frozen Bananas
To coincide with the release of Season 4 of “Arrested Development” on May 26, the Bluth’s Original Frozen Banana Stand is popping up in locations around New York and London. But these frozen bananas aren’t being hand-dipped by …
This Housing Upturn Looks Like the Real Thing
The previous upturn in housing prices faltered after a year, but all the signs suggest that the current home price recovery will be sustainable.
McDonald’s McRib Has a Challenger: Burger King Roll Outs Its Own Boneless Rib Sandwich
The battle for boneless rib sandwich supremacy is on. This summer, Burger King menus will feature the BK Rib, a pork sandwich slathered in tangy barbecue sauce that may sound very familiar to loyal fans of the McDonald’s McRib.
Big 4 Cellphone Carriers Unite on Anti-Texting Ads
NEW YORK — The country’s four biggest cellphone companies are set to launch their first joint advertising campaign against texting while driving, uniting behind AT&T’s “It Can Wait” slogan to blanket TV and radio this summer.
AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint and T-Mobile will be joined by 200 other organizations backing the …
Airlines Collected Record Baggage Fees in 2012
NEW YORK — U.S. airlines collected more than $6 billion in baggage and reservation change fees from passengers last year — the highest amount since the fees became common five years ago.
These fees — along with charges for boarding early or picking prime seats — have helped return the industry to profitability.
(MORE: One …
How MTV Decided to Abandon Rebellion
MTV used to be a parent-free zone, but over the last several years the network has overhauled its programming to cater to a generation that views Mom and Dad more as friends than enemies.
The Hot New Online Retail Strategy: Pushing More In-Store Purchases
You’d think that when retailers enhance their online shopping options, the goal would be increased online sales. Not so with Target, Gap and Rite Aid — which are adding new online tools with the hopes of boosting in-store sales.
Chuck E. Cheese: Where a Kid Can Gamble Like an Adult
What with all the flashing screens, dinging bells, and glazed-over customers absorbed in the games at hand, a Chuck E. Cheese arcade bears quite a resemblance to the slot machine section of a casino. Are kids, in fact, gambling in between their pizza and soda?
