Retail

The FDA is looking into whether melamine, a chemical usually found in plastics, might have found its way into the human food chain. Kai Ryssdal talked with market researcher Harry Balzer about how concerned we should be.

Parisians can spend hours over a croissant and a cafe au lait. Now McDonald's wants a piece of the action. It's taking its McCafe coffee outlets there. Eleanor Beardsley reports.

The nation's biggest shopping mall in Minnesota, with more than 500 stores and an amusement park, wants to get bigger. And it wants the government to pay for some of the expansion. Annie Baxter reports.

A major new competitor looms on the horizon for U.S. convenience stores and markets. British super-retailer Tesco is about to open stores here and analysts say it could pose a legitimate threat.

While some retailers aren't expecting to report great numbers, Gap had none of that negativity — which is a pretty big change. Amy Scott reports the company may be recovering some of its lost luster.

Here are the latest economic indicators from our office vending machine: corn chips, up 10%; soda, up a dime; tiny donuts, up 30 cents! So we called economist Dan Basse to find out what's going on.

At a congressional hearing today, Senators heard calls for more inspections of pet food. John Dimsdale reports.

Gas futures jumped 3 cents a gallon today after the government reported a sharp drop in the nation's gasoline inventories. Still, our John Dimsdale found some good news in the report.

Analysts say it could be a perfect fit. French luxury group PPR has made a buyout offer to add German sportswear maker Puma to a retail collection that includes Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent — and Puma is happy to accept.

A national Internet database being launched on Monday will help retailers defend their products against in-store theft. Jeff Tyler looks at the hidden costs consumers pay for shoplifters.