Retailers try return policy on their stock

Aug 24, 2007
Things seem to be falling apart at the seams for some of this country's biggest clothing retailers. Ann Taylor posted a 27% decline in profits, and the Gap is cutting 2,200 jobs with sales down 5%. But both announced big stock buybacks. Why? Stacey Vanek-Smith found out.
A Gap store in Corte Madera, Calif.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Teens reaching for souped-up cold ones?

Aug 22, 2007
Caffeinated beer may sound like a college student's dream, but some worry the drinks are being marketed to underage consumers as beverage companies grab for their share of the multi-billion dollar energy drink market. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.
A can of Sparks Plus is clearly marked 7.0% ALC/VOL. Is that enough to distinguish it from the wall of nonalcoholic energy drinks?
Justin Foster via Flickr

Got an ID for that beer, grandpa?

Aug 21, 2007
Commentator Benjamin Barber stopped at his local Price Chopper store in Massachusetts last week to grab some beer and groceries. At the register he had an encounter that gave him pause -- and a few choice thoughts.

Wal-Mart music can now be replicated

Aug 21, 2007
Wal-Mart plans to start selling music downloads without copy protection at a cheaper rate per song than iTunes. But some say the move won't necessarily bump up online sales. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.

American cheese gets flavor

Aug 20, 2007
Artisanal cheese makers across the U.S. are slowly but surely crafting a better reputation for American cheese. Think less square singles wrapped in plastic, more finely-aged fromage fit even for the French? Oui, Daniel Weiss reports.

Dogs take couture to the catwalk

Aug 17, 2007
Pet Fashion Week kicks off tomorrow in New York, featuring high-end products for dogs. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports that fancy Fido doodads are capturing an ever-larger slice of the $40-billion-a-year pet-products market.

And they say PCs are good with numbers

Aug 17, 2007
Computer maker Dell has to restate its finances from the last four years after the company was caught fudging with the numbers to hit performance goals. Ashley Milne-Tyte has more.

For public good, not for profit.

'Made in the USA' has new cachet

Aug 17, 2007
Mattel is spinning its damage control wheels as fast as it can following back-to-back recalls of millions of its China-made toys. Meanwhile, American toymakers are cashing in - and dreaming of a red, white and blue Christmas. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.
Bicycle handmade in the USA
velo_city via Flickr

Whole Foods' secrets are out of the box

Aug 15, 2007
Documents detailing Whole Foods' proposed takeover of the Wild Oats chain, accidentally left exposed on a court website, provide a glimpse into how the natural food chain is playing hardball against Wal-Mart. Bob Moon reports.

Wildfires snuff out business

Aug 15, 2007
Smoke and flames have forced the U.S. Forest Service to close two popular stretches of the Salmon River in Idaho. And that's left quite a few businesses up a creek. Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports.