The south's drying out in a drought, and government officials are starting to wonder if the devil went down to Georgia. Sonny Perdue, the state's governor, is doing everything in his power -- including invoking a higher one -- to combat the drought. Today he'll join lawmakers and ministers on the...
As the public grows more aware of the environmental impacts of purchasing decisions, it's becoming controversial to buy bottled water -- not to mention unnecessary if you choose the purified type as opposed to glacial or spring; anyone can make it with a filtration system. Coca-Cola's SmartWater is just that, but with added electrolytes. While celebrity...
...sleeping pills advertised to children (although they may look appealing when the kids are all pumped-up on sugar later tonight.) Consumers International, a global consumer group, accepted submissions from consumer organizations around the world, and formulated an abridged list of bad products based on the following criteria: the size of the company,...
If you were anxiously anticipating the "Do Not Call" list's 2008 expiration, you're in for some disappointment. Although the list -- initiated in 2003 -- was supposed to have a five-year shelf life, the FTC announced that consumers will not have to re-register next year since future legislation may make the...
Wal-Mart's struggling to grow market share and increase stock value, and according to Business Week and retail consultant Patricia Pao, poor customer service is to blame. The obvious explanation is that employees just don't care because they're not compensated enough to do so (which creates a vicious cycle; weakened employee morale...
Countrywide Financial Corp. tapped its entire $11.5 billion credit line to offset a surge in loan defaults and to address the company's liquidity crunch. CFC plans to originate mostly conforming loans, which are backed by government-sponsored entities like Fannie Mae, from this point forward, nearly eliminating its riskier...
What happens when a company straddles two industries, profiting in one arena and struggling in the other? That was Hewlett-Packard's story a couple years back -- its printing business paid the bills while Dell took the lead in PC sales. Then-CEO Carly Fiorina (responsible for the ill-fated Compaq purchase) responded...
Sara Lee Corp. saw a 7.1 percent increase in sales for 2007 in all six of its divisions. Much of the company's success can be attributed to its new customer-centric sales strategy, which focuses on the vendor as customer. Rather than relying on brokers, the company sells...
If there's a silver lining to the China-recall scandal, it's that Mattel has set the bar for conducting damage control after making a highly public mistake. Follow Mattel's five steps: Step 1: Admit fault and accept responsibility. After the first toy recall this month,...
Wal-Mart reported a higher quarterly profit, but cut its outlook for the rest of the year, blaming inflated gas prices, rising mortgage defaults, and the housing funk for decreased consumer spending. Earlier this year, the retailer renewed its focus on low prices after unsuccessful efforts in apparel and...
With heavy competition from global manufacturers in the automotive industry, companies are scrambling to increase sales by offering incentives. According to Jesse Toprak, executive director of industry analysis for sales tracker Edmunds.com, this strategy only works if you don't give away the store. "Giving cars away will...
Gregory Reyes became the first CEO convicted of criminal charges related to stock option backdating. The former CEO of Brocade Communications Systems was found guilty on all10 charges and faces up to 20 years in jail. Reyes's case sets a precedent not only for backdating-related convictions, but also...
