For a while, it looked like cashiers would keep disappearing and self-checkout would become ubiquitous. But retailers—supermarkets especially—are falling out love with self-checkout. They still love trying to tempt shoppers …
Turning 65: Evaluating Medicare Advantage Plans
After 23 years of covering — and giving advice about — Medicare, a veteran journalist wades into the system herself. Part five of a 5-part series.
Olive Garden Admits Making Up ‘Authentic’ Italian Dishes Like Pastachetti
Menu items such as pastachetti and soffatelli “are rooted in the Italian inspiration our chefs draw from when developing these dishes,” says an Olive Garden spokesperson. But will you find them in Italy, or a Little Italy, or any Italian cookbook? Not a chance.
What to Do with the Debt Ceiling? Get Rid of It.
When in search of offbeat thinking on the economy, look no further than Alan Greenspan.
In a pow wow at the Aspen Ideas Festival on the country’s nettlesome debt problem, Greenspan said the debt ceiling, as a concept, should be canned.
Why the Real Estate Recession is Halting Divorces
Study after study has looked at the impact of the recession on everything from obesity to fashion. But I’ve had my eye on a number of reports all year which, collectively, seem to indicate that the recession has made for …
Will Italy Bring Down the Eurozone?
Forget Greece. The biggest question mark in the never-ending eurozone debacle is now Italy.
European markets have been getting slammed over fears that Italy may be the next domino to fall. But why is Italy — whose debt problems have until now been on the back-burner — suddenly feeling the heat? First, eurozone finance ministers have …
It’s a Deal: 35% Off at Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic
A special promotion granting 35% off online purchases at The Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic is set to expire today, July 12. Make your purchase by midnight tonight, and use the coupon code BRONGAP35 to get the discount.
Why Consumers Will Pay a Premium to Get Less Product
With the super-sizing of meals, restaurants found easy profits from consumers willing to pay a little extra to get what seemed like a lot more. Now, to appeal to health-conscious consumers who’d happily pass along the …
Are You Sure You Can Rent Out Your Condo?
Condominium owners are a very specific breed: willing, if not eager, to give up the privacy of a single-family house in exchange for handing over the burdens of maintenance, lawn-mowing and pool-cleaning to someone else.
Why Dollar Stores Are Stalling
Dollar stores were the stars of the recession – and recovery. During the depths of the financial crisis, customers flocked to these super-discount retailers, as they “traded down” from even cheaper outlets like Wal-Mart in order to save some sparse cash. When the economy bounced back, analysts worried that more confident consumers …
Why We Know Our Toilet Paper Better Than Our Banks
Bad news for banks: A survey conducted by marketing research firm Brand Keys found that consumers make no differentiation — none — between bank brands. “They’re still among a group of brands where there is zero …
Need Some Investing Advice? Ask Your Congressperson
The average returns for members of the U.S. House of Representatives outperform the market by 6 percentage points. And Senators? They do even better.