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.
Companies & Industries
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?
Forget ‘Buy American’? U.S. Retailers Push an ‘Imports Work’ Campaign
Wanna support American workers? Buy imports. So says a new report, which claims that a cheap, robust imports marketplace not only helps American workers and families, but local farmers, manufacturers, and small businesses as well.
My Beer Can Is Better Than Yours: Aluminum Can-ovations for Better Beer Drinking
You might think that one beer can is the same as any other. Big beer companies and craft brewers alike say different, and they’re rolling out new cans with wider mouths and funky designs that they claim make for vastly superior …
McDonald’s Removes Angus Burgers as it Tries to Reverse Declining Sales
McDonald’s is removing one high-profile “premium” item from the menu, possibly signaling that the trend toward higher-priced fast food is coming to a close.
Tesla Beats the Odds — And the Haters — But Now Comes the Hard Part
The electric car company Tesla has always been an easy target. There’s the CEO, messianic Silicon Valley entrepreneur Elon Musk, who sometimes actually seems to be convinced that he’s the real-life Tony Stark. There’s the sheer chutzpah of a startup company from outside the auto industry trying to successfully build and market a new car …
Video: Sorry eBay — Turns Out Some Small Businesses Support the Marketplace Fairness Act
Online giant eBay is leading the charge against legislation that would require sales tax to be collected on Internet sales. The mandate would be an unfair burden on small businesses, eBay says. And yet who are among the bill’s strongest supporters? Yep, small businesses.
Stripping Jamie Dimon’s Chairmanship May Feel Good, But Won’t Fix What’s Broken
Way back in 2011, JPMorgan Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon was on top of the world. TIME selected him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and even Charles Ferguson, director of the scathing, anti-Wall-Street documentary Inside Job praised his performance during the financial crisis:
“Dimon had the wisdom and the long
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Don’t Disappoint Mom: How to Ensure a Better-Than-Average Mother’s Day Gift
Finding the perfect Mother’s Day gift can be a difficult, if not impossible, task. At least it’s fairly simple to figure out how treat your mother better than the average son or daughter this Sunday.
The Charles Ramsey-McDonald’s Episode: How a Viral Marketing Opportunity Can Backfire
The Charles Ramsey-McDonald’s episode is shaping up as an argument that brands should respond to viral marketing opportunities slowly, cautiously—and perhaps not at all.
Um, You’ve Actually Been Able to Order 100% Legit Viagra Online for Years
Two key facts are being glossed over with this week’s big announcement from Pfizer: 1) It’s been possible to buy guaranteed authentic Viagra online for years; and 2) Pfizer isn’t really selling drugs directly to customers.
One Airline That Stubbornly Refuses to Pile on the Fees (For Now)
Most airlines view fees for baggage and ticket changes as easy, highly lucrative revenue streams. Southwest Airlines views them quite differently: If it added baggage fees on par with other carriers, Southwest says it would lose …