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?
Smart Spending
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 …
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.
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.
Internet Sales Tax or Not — 5 Ways to Save Money Shopping Online
In a rare moment of bipartisan collaboration this week, the Senate passed the Marketplace Fairness Act, a bill that brings us one step closer to paying sales tax for online purchases. If it becomes law, you won’t be able to avoid …
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 …
Hot Pizza: So Popular Restaurants Will Try Almost Anything
Pizza is popping up in more (and sometimes unusual) places, and it’s being prepared and marketed in new (and sometimes unusual) ways. Why is pizza so hot all of a sudden?
MPG Rising: When Regulations Drive Up Prices—And Consumers Don’t Mind
If there’s one thing Americans would seem to hate more than regulations, it’s regulations that directly result in them spending more money out of pocket. So why are so many consumers fans of new government-mandated automobile …
Bait and Switch: Beware Low-Price Guarantees
Retailers love that price-matching guarantees attract shoppers. At the same time, they hate it when customers actually try to take advantage of these policies.
Nissan Leads the Way in Auto Price Wars
The 2014 Nissan Versa starts at a sticker price of $12,780, giving it the title of cheapest new car in the U.S. for three straight years. The automaker boasts the lowest-price electric car in the U.S. as well, after dropping the base price of a Nissan Leaf by $6,400 earlier this year. Look for plummeting MSRPs on seven other Nissan …
