Retailers love the idea that consumers can be trained to view certain price points and markdowns as terrific deals. Just tweak the prices and wait for shoppers to bite. And when consumers get to the point that they can see through the manipulative promotions? Then it’s time to retrain them.
Big Brother Is Watching You Swipe: The NSA’s Credit Card Data Grab
The National Security Agency isn’t just snooping into phone and online communications. It also appears to be keeping a close eye on credit card transactions. Why? And what can they see?
Inside the New Lab That Predicts Viral Videos
Predicting viral videos may seem impossible. But it’s something that the folks at Unruly Media think they’ve figured out
The Rise of the Swanky No-Name Brand
The generic “store brand” label has been losing its stigma for years. Now, Target is attempting to further dispel the notion that an in-house brand equates to low quality with the launch of an organic, upscale food line.
S&P Upgrade of U.S.: More Proof the Ratings Agency Shouldn’t Play Politics
On Monday ratings giant Standard & Poor’s raised the U.S.’s credit outlook from “negative” to “stable.” That may sound a bit like the equivalent of Arrested Development’s Bluth Company going from “Triple Sell” to “Don’t Buy,” but in these troubled economic times, Americans should take what they can get. Thanks to a housing rebound, stock …
The Real Reason Telecoms Cooperate on National Security? Money
Verizon, the phone company whose disclosure of customer data to the U.S. federal government is at the center of the furor over cooperation by technology companies with top-secret national-security programs, has offered a precise, clear, but little-noticed public explanation of why it did what it did.
The Verizon explanation is not in the
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In Fast Food, Five—As in $5—Is Now the Magic Number
It’s not particularly complicated: $5 is a nice round, approachable, affordable-sounding number. At a time when popular fast-casual chains are pushing the average diner bill upward, the $5 price point is especially likely to get the attention of deal hunters. And that’s why fast food customers are seeing more and more of the fiver.
Winning in Baseball and Business
When you’re on the hook to launch a new product or service, you need to answer a critical question: How many customers will buy it? It’s tempting to jump right in, assuming everyone will want your fantastic new offering. But before you put the resources into building, marketing, and launching a product, it pays to research just how
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‘Don’t Go There’ Tips for Entrepreneurs
You may have a great business idea and the plans to bring it to fruition, but you should still be on the lookout for these common mistakes that can suck the start out of a startup.
Delaying Retirement? Count Yourself Lucky
The recession has forced many to delay retirement. That only feels like a hardship. Here’s a look at the bright side.
Here’s Why Google Is Buying Waze, a Red-Hot Mobile Traffic App, for $1 Billion
Apple E-Book Trial, Week 2: The Emerging Case for Letting Apple Off the Hook
As the U.S. government’s closely watched e-book price-fixing trial against Apple enters its second week, the tech giant appears to be on stronger footing than it was at the beginning of the case, thanks in part to a key legal …