JCPenney’s dramatic makeover has led to customer confusion and subpar sales, but the company is sticking with its plan to revolutionize its brand.
Odd Spending
‘Dark Knight’ Ticket Sales: $25 Million and Counting—Before the Movie Hits Theaters
It’s hard to overestimate the degree to which fans have been anticipating the arrival in theaters of the new Christopher Nolan-Christian Bale Batman movie, “The Dark Knight Rises.” Tickets to some of the first showings, at …
Got Stuff? Typical American Home Is Cluttered with Possessions — and Stressing Us Out
The idea for a new book by UCLA researchers sounds pretty boring. A team of anthropologists went into 32 typical homes — middle-class, dual-income families, with school-age children — and cataloged what they saw. Sorta like …
The $40 Million Counterfeit Coupon Caper
These Prices Are Linsane! Fire Sale Begins for Jeremy Lin Knicks Merchandise
Just a few short months ago, during the peak of “Linsanity,” ticket prices for New York Knicks games soared and sports apparel retailers sold out all of their Jeremy Lin jerseys as quickly as manufacturers could make them. Now …
Ha! Ads That Make You Laugh Don’t Really Make You Buy
It’s funny how commercials work. Or rather, according to a new study, it’s funny how some ads succeed in making viewers chuckle, but ultimately fail in what they’re supposed to do—entice couch potatoes into actually buying the …
10 Things That Cost Way More Outside the U.S.
Starbucks Opening Inside a Funeral Home
Some say the best way to grieve over a loved one is by being around family and friends and remembering all the good times you shared with someone who’s passed. Maybe if this was 1998. A better way is to drink a cinnamon dolce …
Fast Food’s New Mantra: Remodel and They Will Come (and Spend)
Year in, year out, most fast food restaurants see a steady increase in drive-thru visits by customers. While the rise in business is welcomed, fast food chains get even more excited when diners eat in the restaurant — because …
What’s With All the Offensive Alcohol Names?
Should consumers be able to buy Five Wives and some cold Raging Bitches? The manufacturers that make these products — a vodka and an ale, respectively — certainly think they should. Recently, though, state liquor …
What Were They Thinking? 10 Ads That Sparked Controversy
Cringe-inducing ads can do a lot to tarnish a company’s image. Here’s ten examples of advertisements gone wrong and how each company handled the fallout.
Consumers Prefer to Get More Rather than Pay Less – Because They’re Bad at Math
Is it better to get more or pay less? If you think they’re basically the same, you’re like most consumers. And, like most consumers, you’re wrong.
