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May wasn't the best month for big retailers, but it wasn't the worst. That was April, which literally was the worst retail month ever. We got the numbers for May this morning, and they're mixed. Wal-Mart had pretty disappointing numbers while Costco and Nordstrom did better than expected. The bottom line is people are still spending, but they're being kinda careful with their money.

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Back to banana

What's yellow, about 150 calories and smells like a banana? It's a Twinkie. In a blast from the past, the spongy cake treat is now offering a banana creme center — the way they used to make 'em back before World War II, before a wartime banana shortage forced Hostess to switch to vanilla. The company has offered the original flavor in the past for limited-time promotions and profits were Twinkielicious: The last time sales rose by 20 percent. Now it's making the banana option permanent.

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Got a little change in our pockets...

Despite gas prices, despite the housing slump, Americans went shopping in May. Retail sales shot up 1.4 percent. That's the best month since January of 2006 and the increase is double what economists predicted. This is a clear sign the economy is rebounding from a blah start to the year. Consumer spending is a huge part of the economy — it makes up 70 percent of GDP.

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Bracing for iPhone

If you need anything from your neighborhood Apple or AT&T store, might we suggest you go before June 29. That's when Apple's highly-anticipated iPhone goes on sale and it's expected to cause quite a commotion. The device will only be available at those shops, and demand is expected to be so great that AT&T is hiring 2,000 temporary workers as well as enhanced security to handle the extra shoppers for a couple months.
Of course, they might get bored pretty quickly. AT&T execs are predicting that iPhone will sell out within a day, maybe two.

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Kraft's becoming king of crackers

Kraft Foods confirmed it's looking to put the cookie and cereal division of French food company Groupe Danone (you know it as Dannon here in the States) in its shopping cart for $7.2 billion. Kraft says the European headquarters of the biscuit biz will stay in France for the foreseeable future. Both companies expect the sale to close by the end of the year.

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There is a such thing as too many questions

Sprint Nextel sent Dear John letters to a thousand customers telling them 'it's over.' Apparently, these people were calling customer service 40 to 50 times a month, asking the same questions over and over and over and over — and Sprint says they were simply draining too many customer service resources. The ex-customers won't have to pay a termination fee or even their final bill. So if you really want out of your cell phone contract and you've got a lot of free time on your hands...

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Layered-look is going out of style

Liz Claiborne has been hurting from a downturn in department store sales. An announcement is expected today, reports The Wall Street Journal, that the apparel company wants to divest itself of 16 of its 36 brands — a move that could mean up to 800 job losses. Among the lines it's expected to try to sell or discontinue: Laundry, Sigrid Olsen, Ellen Tracy and Dana Buchman.

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GTA IV stuck in the shop

Virtual car thieves are in for a long wait. Take-Two Interactive is postponing the release of Grand Theft Auto IV because the video game's just not ready. It was due out in two months, but now the release has been pushed back to Spring '08. Analysts say this could create ripple effects for the entire video game industry during the holiday selling season. The latest edition of the wildly popular series was expected to drive sales of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

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You'll still have to go out for fresh donuts but...

Dunkin' Donuts thinks there's a hole in the retail coffee market and it has the perfect filling. Dunkin' has struck a deal with Procter & Gamble, that'll put its packaged java in Wal-Mart, Kroger and CVS stores. The move coincides with Dunkin's expansion into the West and South. The company plans to triple stores in the US to 15,000 by 2020.

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Singing the Big Box blues

We got some numbers from Wal-Mart and Home Depot this morning that say a lot about the U.S. economy. Wal-Mart turned in smaller-than-expected profits for the second quarter — and cut its profit forecast for the year. CEO Lee Scott blamed economic pressure on his customer base, saying it's no secret people are running out of money toward the end of each month. And Home Depot reported a 15 percent drop in quarterly profits. Just two words explain that one: housing market.

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Contaminated in China

Made in China has never sounded so ominous. Yesterday, Mattel announced a second recall of nearly 20 million Chinese-made toys, many with magnets inside and some with too much lead paint. It turns out China may have known about the magnet issue as far back as March. Someone with the China Toy Association confirmed today that the group has known about the potential dangers for several months, but she didn't explain why it took so long to do something about it. Mattel says with further testing, more recalls could be on the way.

And today there's a new kid staple to add to the list: baby bibs. The New York Times reports some brands of vinyl bibs sold at Toys"R"Us appear to be contaminated with lead. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says their own tests of baby bibs found any lead present was low enough that it wouldn't harm a kid chewing on or rubbing the vinyl. There is a potential risk of lead exposure if babies swallow pieces of cracked vinyl used on the bibs, but the agency hasn't pushed for a recall.

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Steve Jobs: iSorry

Yesterday Apple offered early buyers of the iPhone an apology. The gadget's been on the market for two months with a $599 price tag. Then Wednesday Apple cut the price by $200. iPhoners felt as though they'd been slapped in the face and buyer unrest was e-mailed fast and furiously, Apple chief Steve Jobs offered a $100 store credit to users who paid the original price.

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Trying to go Green-Mart

Wal-Mart is looking to dress itself in a little more green. The Financial Times reports today the retail giant will ask its suppliers to measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions. Wal-Mart will start with a pilot group of companies in seven product categories-- DVDs, toothpaste, soap, milk, beer, vacuum cleaners and soft drinks. Wal-Mart plans on using the data to cut costs by being able to compare similar companies and figuring out which are less efficient. It's the biggest effort to get emissions reports from businesses.

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Maybe an extra bag of Snickers this year

With all of the not-so-good news lately about the economy, it could almost make you want to dress-up and pretend you're someone or something else. Or maybe just eating a lot of candy would help. Don't know if there's any link, but apparently people are buying up more Halloween costumes, candy, and other goodies than ever. The National Retail Federation estimates the average person will spend almost $65 on the holiday this year -- about 10 percent more than last year. It might sound batty, but total Halloween spending will be at more than $5 billion.

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Pearls fit for a queen

If you're looking for a nice holiday gift for a special woman in your life, how about pearls? How about Marie Antoinette's pearls? They can be yours, if you have about $800,000 to spend. That's how much the jewelry belonging to France's last queen is expected to fetch when it goes on sale in London this December. She gave a bag of pearls and diamonds to Lady Sutherland, the British ambassador's wife, a year before Antoinette's death. The pearls are now part of a necklace.

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What's Radiohead worth to you?

Radiohead's known for creating innovative music. But this time, the band's drumming up buzz about what will be lacking when the album "In Rainbows" comes out on the 10th. There's no record label and there's no retail price. You'll only be able to buy "In Rainbows" as a digital download through the band's website. And when you start the on-line purchase process a question mark will pop up where you'd normally see a price. Instead, the words "it's up to you" will show up. Really: If you don't want to pay anything at all, "it's up to you."

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Not letting Apple off easy

A lot of iPhone owners were pretty ticked off when Apple slashed the price of its super gadget by 200 bucks just two months after its debut. A woman in New York is so peeved about the whole thing she wants a million dollars in damages. She claims in a federal court lawsuit Apple violated price discrimination laws. But Apple not only cut the price on the eight-gigabyte iPhone, it also stopped selling the four-gigabyte model. That's the one the woman bought. She alleges owners of the four-gig phone were given less-favorable terms than those that bought the other one at the premium price.

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Verizon: iCopy that

It's not an iPhone, but it's cheaper and it might fool some of your friends. The Voyager is Verizon's new phone. It sure looks a little like the iPhone. It's got the large touch sensitive screen, the camera, the media player. It's a little thicker though, but that's because it opens up to show a keyboard and a second screen. It can also shoot video and Verizon's wireless network is faster than ATT's. You've got a couple of months to decide before the holidays.

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Give me a home where the buffalo . . . are snacks

If you need a mid-day snack, why not some bison and berries? Put them together and you've got the latest energy bar on the market -- the Tanka Bar. The jerky-like offering comes from an American Indian-owned company and is made with South Dakota bison and Wisconsin cranberries. One of the owners of the bar's manufacturer says the new product signals getting back to a healthy lifestyle with the help of the buffalo that had provided meat, utensils, and clothing for thousands of years. Bison and cranberry trail mix will also be available soon.

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Wii taking Sony's sales

It's pretty clear Sony is losing the battle against Nintendo's Wii. So, Sony's cutting the price of the Playstation 3 one more time. A $400 version goes on sale November 2. Is that something you might be interested in? Still, the Wii sells for $250. And the Xbox 360 goes for $300 to $400.

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When a lullaby just won't work...

What's the worst product you can think of? How about . . . sleeping pills targeting children? A watchdog called Consumers International just came out its list of the worst behavior by corporations. They put Takeda Pharmaceuticals at the top. Takeda makes a sleeping pill called Rozerum. The company advertised the drug by reminding people it was back to school season.
Mattel also made the list for making toys with too much lead in them. And Coca-Cola also got slammed for the way it markets Dansani bottled water. It comes from the same reservoirs as tap water.

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They should just ask for two months' salary...

A trademark suit against e-Bay is set to open today in New York. Jeweler Tiffany & Co sued e-Bay for letting counterfeit items be sold on its site. The center of the lawsuit questions who should be responsible for policing the site for fakes. If Tiffany wins the suit, it would force e-Bay to change the way luxury products are auctioned off. If e-Bay is the winner, no change.

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Clothing may not actually have seaweed

A popular yoga clothing retailer may be stretching the truth. Lululemon is a high-end shop with workout gear made of unusual materials like soybeans, bamboo and silver. But the New York Times reports today at least one of the funky ingredients may not be present. The Times commissioned a lab test on a fabric Lululemon says is made with seaweed. The mineral levels of the tested shirt were the same as a cotton t-shirt. Lululemon's been a Wall Street darling since it went public this summer.

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James Madison is cool

That's what the U.S. Mint wants you to think as it comes out today with its fourth presidential coin.
The Mint's director, Ed Moy, says he hopes the father of the Constitution is more popular than previous coins. The past two $1 coins are considered big flops -- that would be Sacagawea and Susan B Anthony. The new presidential designs are trying to tap into the success of the 50-state quarter program.

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Come for the pie, stay for the savings!

The holiday shopping rush is just a week away, and some retailers are cooking up extra ways to entice customers. For the second year in a row, Comp USA will serve slices of pumpkin pie to those waiting in line before the store opens. Sam's Club will give shoppers a free continental breakfast, complete with a hot egg and sausage sandwich, yogurt, fruit, coffee and juice. The warehouse store expects to have enough food to last until 9 a.m.

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Breaking out the traditional Thanksgiving Tofurkey

Forget that Kosher organic free range bird you paid six bucks a pound for. The makers of an alternative turkey say business is up. Fourth quarter sales of Tofurky are up 36 percent over last year. That means around 227,000 homes in the U.S. will be sitting down to a flavored vegan tofu roast later today.

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A better workout than shopping

And since you're probably going to pump in calories today, you might want to pump up tomorrow instead of shopping. Gold's Gym says anyone who wants to work out tomorrow can come to one of its 500 gyms around the country for free. That news comes from the desk of shamelessly opportunistic marketing ploys

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Losing sleep over shopping? Then get started

Can't sleep? How about some early shopping? Wal-Mart Stores is opening at 5 a.m today.
J.C. Penney already opened at 4 a.m. Then again, you might be done already by now: CompUSA was opened at midnight.

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The real money Monday

Cyber Monday -- ha! The first Monday after Thanksgiving's been dubbed the busiest online shopping day of the year, but many web retailers think that's just silly. Apparently it's the second week of December that's the cash cow. E-bay says that week is so lucrative they have their own moniker to kick it off: Green Monday. Business Week reports last year, Wednesday, December 13 was the day that brought in the most online dough: $667 million in sales.

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Google attempting to go wireless

Today could be the day Google makes its plans clear about wanting a piece of the wireless pie.
The Wall Street Journal reports Google will announce today it'll apply to bid for wireless spectrum in next month's FCC auction. The FCC has a December 3 deadline for speaking up about wanting to bid. No comment from Google, but the company has previously said it would probably go for a chunk of the airwaves that can be used for mobile phone services and internet.

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Fresh and Easy and closer than the U.K.

British retailer Tesco has big plans for the U.S. market. A few weeks ago, it opened its first 15 Fresh and Easy supermarkets in cities like LA. And now the chief executive of the chain says that by 2009, there will be 200 stores. His goal is for urban shoppers to never be more than a mile away from the nearest Fresh and Easy. Some critics, however, say that the sort-of-cold feeling of the stores and the self-service checkouts might be a problem for some shoppers.

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Retail snailing through holiday

The holiday season is not a good time for retail sales to go soft. But they are. This morning, Target said it'll probably fall short of its sales forecast for December. And November wasn't so hot either.
A bunch of stores reported their November figures this morning and mostly, they were disappointing, even with a big Thanksgiving weekend -- 19 out of 26 retailers came up short. Among those that did fare OK: Wal-mart and Costco, Macy's and Nordstrom.

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Non-believers marvel as Jesus flies off shelf

All 600 Wal-Mart have already run out of one of the hit toys for the holidays: Talking Jesus. Target doesn't have many left either, and there are no plans to restock before Christmas. The California company that makes the doll is called one2believe. They point out that many people doubted a 12-inch tall talking Jesus would sell. Peter, Paul, Mary, Noah and Moses sold separately.

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Retail prepares for an exhausting season closer

Retail workers are going to be drinking a lot of coffee in this last week before Christmas.
The final stretch of the shopping season is going to have as many gimmicks as the start, including expanded hours. Macy's plans to pull all-nighters this weekend at several stores, including its flagship in Manhattan. Some K-Marts will go 24-hours like they did Thanksgiving weekend, and Toys "R" Us will be open until midnight every day until Christmas Eve. The latest shopping data released Sunday shows sales weren't too impressive this weekend thanks to the snow storm in the midwest and New England, and worries about the economy.

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Every 17 seconds, Wii finds a home

Christmas has been amazing for Amazon. The company said the 2007 holiday season was its strongest ever. December 10 was Amazon's busiest day -- shoppers ordered almost 5.5 million items. One of the most wanted products was Nintendo's video game system, the Wii.
Amazon says it sold about 17 Wii's per second when they had them in stock.

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Countries debating the taboo of mink

You might think that wearing a fur coat has a certain stigma, but fur traders don't know anything about that. The price of mink is near record levels. Strong demand from China and Russia are mainly responsible for this. But even in the U.K., the demand for fur has gone up at a very strong pace. Some furriers even claim that their success has to do with the fact that fur is a green commodity: It comes from a renewable resource, there is very little pollution involved in the production of it and it's biodegradable. Others don't think that the stigma is gone and are skeptical about the long-term success of fur.

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You want a mocha with those fries?

McDonald's is getting ready to add a new position and many new menu items to thousands of restaurants this year.The Wall Street Journal reports the company will install coffee bars, complete with "baristas," in almost 14,000 U.S. locations. The addition of cappuccinos, lattes, and other fancy beverages is expected to add a billion dollars to McDonald's annual sales. The golden arches already bring in nearly $22 billion a year.

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Mizrahi named creative director for Liz Claiborne

Isaac Mizrahi is done dressing things up at Target. The designer is leaving to help spice things up at Liz Claiborne. Mizrahi's Target collection has been really popular over his five-year run, selling as much as $300 million each year. His departure is more than a fashion emergency. It comes just as Target's CEO has announced he's stepping down and the company's dealing with a 5 percent drop in same-store sales last month. The retailer apparently tried hard to keep the cheap-chic designer but wasn't willing to match Claiborne's offer.

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600 bottles of beer on the wall . . . for $400 each

Here's something you probably won't find at any Superbowl parties this weekend: a $400 bottle of Carlsberg beer. If you want to try the new Vintage Number One, your best bet is a visit to Denmark. The Danish brewer says only 600 bottles of the beer will be made. Most will be sold at three of Copenhagen's most exclusive restaurants. Even without the beer, the bottle is said to be worth about a $100. Each one has a hand-stenciled label by a well-known artist.

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Getting back to the brew

Starbucks says it will soon be done with the smell of sausage, bacon and eggs. The company's taking its hot breakfast sandwiches off the menu this fall. CEO Howard Schultz says it's time to put the focus back on coffee as Starbucks focuses on ways to win back customers. And sandwiches aren't the only things getting eaten up by the company's plans. About 100 U.S. stores will close this year, but more will open up overseas.

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Reception's fine, but profits need a boost

Motorola's cell phones are hitting a patch of static. The company announced it's looking at a spin-off unit for mobile devices. Sales of cell phones dove 38 percent in the fourth quarter. Handset sales are down worldwide. The Illinois company is trying to avoid a battle with shareholder Carl Icahn. Shares are up 10 percent in after-hours trading. Hello, Moto just doesn't seem to have that same ring anymore.

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New York stores accepting Euros

If you weren't convinced the dollar just isn't what it used to be, listen to this. Some stores in New York are putting up signs that read: "Euros accepted here." An owner of a wine shop in the East Village says, "money is money."European tourists are travelling to the city looking to take advantage of the exchange rates.

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McDonald's Japan profits are . . . meatier

Japan's having a Mega Mac attack. McDonald's Japan posted a five-fold increase in annual net profit today. Among the reasons for the surge: the popularity of Mega Macs, four meat patties layered between three slices of bun with cheese and lettuce. That and new breakfast menus helped McDonald's ride out its disclosure in November that it sold salads past their expiration dates at some Tokyo restaurants. And there's still hunger for more: The company predicted further growth as it plans to open 130 new stores and promote its coffee more.

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Can't leave DOJ totally in the dark

Sony BMG and Universal Music Group have been talking about launching an online music service to rival iTunes. And now, the U.S. Department of Justice wants to know exactly what they're up to.
The idea behind "Total Music" involves offering fans access to unlimited digital music for a period of time. The cost would be built into the price of the electronic device playing the downloads. Reports say both Sony and Universal received letters from the Department of Justice. Past deals between major recording companies have been closely watched by the government.

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Breaking the donut mold to avoid dunkin' profits

Dunkin' Donuts is putting its latest hopes into oven-toasted goodness. The coffee and baked-goods chain is breaking its breakfast-only mold. Dunkin' will unveil new menu items today, including personal pizzas and flatbread sandwiches. The lunch and dinner options will be heated in convection ovens rather than microwaves. The company isn't saying how much it cost to replace the microwaves, but does say the new ovens will help with breakfast sandwiches, too -- no more soggy bread and limp eggs.

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The winner of the DVD wars is . . .

It appears that questions over what would be the DVD format of the future have been answered. And the winner is Sony. The competition was between and Sony's Blu Ray disks and Toshiba's HD DVD. Both offered superior clarity and picture, but neither were compatible with the other. And though Toshiba did not say they were defeated, today they admitted they'd review their HD DVD strategy. Probably the clearest losers are the estimated one million people around the world who have already bought HD DVD players.

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Oprah's e-book club

Oprah's been very good for bookstores. But it seems her magic touch goes beyond paper pages.
More than a million copies of Suze Orman's "Women & Money" were downloaded after Oprah Winfrey announced an e-book edition would be free on her website for 33 hours. Orman was a guest on Oprah last Thursday. And now the paper version of the book is getting a lift too. As of yesterday "Women & Money" ranked number six on Amazon.com.

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Skimming the top off the staff

Starbucks may be making changes to improve customer satisfaction, but a number of the company's workers aren't too happy today. The CEO of the coffee chain sent an e-mail yesterday announcing 600 job cuts -- 220 people have been laid off. The rest of the cuts are open positions that will remain unfilled. Most of the cuts are in the U.S,. but none are baristas or store managers.
Starbucks has more than 170,000 employees.

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Victoria's Secret may be too provocative

The CEO of Victoria's Secret has been keeping her own secret. Sharen Turney says the she thinks the brand has become "too sexy." The lingerie chain is known for its provocative TV fashion shows and eye-popping stores. In the 90's, classical music played in the background of Victoria's Secret stores and the stores were painted a soft pink. Today it's pounding techo music through loudspeakers with lacquered black and neon pink displays.

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A deal this good won't last forever

Actually, the opposite may be true at the post office. The Postal Services says sales of the Forever Stamp jumped by $95 million after people heard first-class rates will go up by a penny. The price jumps to $0.42 May 12. Until then, you can buy Forever Stamps for $0.41 a piece and use them without penalty after the rate hike. The Postal Service says it has sold $2.3 billion worth of the new stamps since they were introduced less than a year ago.

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Vodka strong enough for a man, but marketed to women

Here's a new product bound to become a staple of the ladies night in Russia. Damskaya -- a new brand of vodka -- is being marketed to women. Advertisements for the liquor feature an "elegant, violet-tinted bottle wearing a pleated white skirt," and the skirt is blown upwards -- ala Marilyn Monroe in "Seven Year Itch" -- to reveal the label.

Russia's vodka market is estimated to be worth around $15 billion a year. With market growth at around 15 percent a year, distiller Igor Volodin says it's about time women had a drink of their own.

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A sad day for breakfast

The man who invented McDonald's popular breakfast sandwich, The Egg McMuffin, has died. Herb Peterson created the McMuffin in 1972 as a fast -food version of his favorite breakfast dish, Eggs Benedict. The sandwich made it's debut at a McDonald's franchise owned by Peterson in Santa Barbara. Peterson made his debut with the company many years before that, however, when he came up with McDonald's first national ad slogan: "Where quality starts fresh every day." He was 89.

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Depends on your definition of "craft" beer

Tastes great, less filling. The debate goes on, but Miller Lite is about to complicate things.
The nation's second-biggest brewer is taking its most popular beer and offering it up craft-style. Miller tested light versions of wheat, amber, and blonde ales in four markets earlier this year. Sales went so well in Baltimore, Charlotte, Minneapolis, and San Diego the craft collection is going national. The new tag line: "Craft Beer. Done Lite" (and beer snobs may be saying, "Yeah, right").

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Blockbuster wants Circuit City

Blockbuster made public today a $1 billion offer for electronics retailer Circuit City. The original offer was made privately back in February. But Circuit City has not come back with an answer. Now Blockbuster's chief executive is getting a little more aggressive and has made the offer public, perhaps looking for some shareholder pressure. And that pressure might very well arrive since the offer is between 54 to 105 percent over Circuit City's closing share price of 3.90 last week.

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Papa John's going to China

If you're in Beijing for the Olympics, here's one thing you won't have to give up:
Papa John's pizza. The chain is adding 500 restaurants in China (40 or 50 will open this year). That would make it the biggest market outside the U.S. There are already about 100 Papa John's in China. The company is trying to tap a growing market of affluent consumers in China.

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Indicted Samsung Group chief stepping down

The chairman of South Korea's biggest conglomerate says he is resigning. Samsung Group chief Lee Kun-hee is stepping down less than a week after his indictment on tax evasion charges.

A team of special prosecutors say Lee evaded about $113 million in taxes. The charges followed a three-month investigation into the conglomerate's finances.

Samsung Group's biggest company is Samsung Electronics, which makes computer chips, flat screen TVs and mobile phones.

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Grand Theft Auto sales could run right over expectations

Take Two, the company that makes the popular video game Grand Theft Auto IV, is expected to report first week sales today. And The New York Times reports that we could be looking at six million copies. That is $500 dollars. These numbers would exceed expectations. And that might mean more pressure for Electronics Arts to raise the price of its take over offer for Take Two.

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Papa Johns makes big dough on Internet sales

You might not think of Papa John's as an Internet retailer, but you should. The Louisville-based pizza maker has just passed $1 billion in online sales. Papa John's is the nation's third largest pizza delivery chain. It says online orders account for more than 20 percent of it's sales. That includes text messaging. And customers can place their orders up to 21 days in advance. Papa John's has been selling pizza over the Internet since 2001.

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No surprise, but retail is slowing

With all the recession talk, it should come as no surprise that consumers are spending less these days. That's what a new report out today from SpendingPulse, a unit of MasterCard says. Retail sales in April barely rose compared to March. A 0.1 percent increase. And if you take out gasoline and cars, retail sales actually fell 0.7 percent.

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Gas prices over the limit for old gas pumps

Small-gas-station owners around the country have a little problem with gas prices. Their pumps will not go over $3.99 a gallon! The spinning mechanical dials were made back when you couldn't think of these gas prices, nor could you think about needing to spend more than $100 at the pump. Yes, the pumps only count up to $99.99. There are about 17,000 of these pumps around the country. Most owners can't afford the $10,000 it would cost to replace each of them.

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You can still afford to drown your money sorrows

Maybe there are some people who find a refuge in their beer when the economy is not treating them well. Problem is, if the economy is not treating you well, how do you pay for the beer? How about, buy cheaper beer? That's what chief executive of Miller Brewing thinks is happening. He said the volume of beer sold remain stable, but the company expects to sell more of the low cost beer.

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Macy's toys with an addition to stores

Macy's plans to open FAO Schwartz toy shops at over 680 of its locations. The toy seller will lease the floor space and pay Macy's a percentage of sales. Both stores benefit from the deal -- FAO Schwartz will raise it's profile while pulling in parents to shop at Macy's. The two retailers aren't wasting any time. They plan to have the toy shops up and running in about 275 stores by this fall. Just in time for the holiday season. The rest will open within the next two years.

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Everyone already has a cell phone

Cell phone sales dropped in this country for the first time in several years, according to a couple of new studies. The biggest decline was seen among low and middle-income buyers. They appear to be holding onto their old handsets longer. The high end of the market is still growing, as more affluent buyers upgrade to newer phones with more features. Another possible reason for the drop in sales: the U.S. market is nearing saturation. Over 80 percent of Americans now own a cell phone.

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eBay versus Chicago

Internet auctioneer eBay is catching some heat from the Windy City. Chicago is suing the company over it's failure to pay amusement taxes. City officials say eBay and it's ticket-selling subsidiary StubHub failed to pay the 8 percent tax on ticket sales for sports events and concerts. eBay says the tax does not apply to it, but Chicago says yes, it does. The amusement tax ordinance specifically includes Internet sites that resell tickets.

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A shot straight to your wallet

Bullets are starting to cost a bucketload these days. Experts blame the rising price of lead and copper. The U.S. military's need for ammunition is also driving demand. The cost for some calibers has gone up 70 percent in the past couple of years. And that means some police departments around the country are cutting back on target practice and -- in some cases -- stockpiling ammo.

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Buying a camera? Better make it snappy

Eastman Kodak is planning to raise the price on those items and others by about 20 percent in the next few weeks. That's according to a story in today's edition of Britain's Guardian newspaper. Eastman Kodak CEO Antonio Perez says the increasing cost of raw materials, such as silver and aluminum, is driving the price hike. Those metals are essential for the photographic and printing industries. Perez says prices for aluminum and silver shot up 75 percent in the past 12 months.

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Wake up and smell the merger

Smuckers may already be the best part of your morning, but it may be looking for a way to capitalize on breakfast. The maker of jams, jellies and Hungry Jack pancakes is expected to buy Folgers coffee. The Wall Street Journal reports the deal could be finalized within the week. Folgers is currently owned by Procter & Gamble. No price has been made public yet, but the coffee division could go for two billion dollars or more.

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More ways to pump up your eyelashes

Pharmaceutical company Allergan already freshened up the anti-wrinkle market with the drug Botox. Soon it hopes to have something for the eyes as well. There are reports this morning that Allergan will be producing a drug that -- when applied to the base of the eyelashes -- should make them grow longer, thicker and darker. The company says clinical tests have been positive and it should be producing the drug as early as next summer.

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Haven't bought any underwear lately have you?

Times are tight and lotion and lingerie just aren't selling like they used to. Limited Brands operates Bath and Body Works and Victoria's Secret. The company reports today same-store sales fell 6 percent last month -- worst than expected. And as other May retail numbers roll in, it looks like Costco and Wal-Mart are among the strongest performers once again.

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Ladies Love Cool . . . Sears

Remember the Softer Side of Sears? It looks like the retailer is now looking to dial up its street cred. Sears is adding a line of clothing designed by none other than LL Cool J.
The hip hop star will put his label on street wear and accessories. The line will be available -- just in time for back to school sales -- starting in September. Sears is also teaming up with MTV to produce a back to school movie, "The American Mall," airing on MTV Aug. 11. Hopefully teens won't be turned off by the prospect of also buying a tool set and a washer-dryer at the place they go looking for clothes.

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Maybe sales will get better in Time

"A flight to quality." That's how the outgoing CEO of The Economist explains the magazine's increasing popularity with readers. At a time when American publications are struggling, the British magazine is seeing big gains in ad sales and circulation in the U.S. Profits are up 23 percent. By comparison, sales of the leading US magazine, TIME, dropped last year after the publication increased its price to offset lagging ad revenues.

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A better place to toss your bulb

Home Depot may soon be scoring high marks with eco-conscious consumers. Later today, the nation's second-largest retailer is expected to announce a program to recycle compact fluorescent light bulbs or CFLs. Stores are promoting these lights as an energy saving alternative to standard light bulbs. But unlike the regular bulbs, you can't just throw the fluorescents away. Each one contains a small amount of mercury, which is not so environmentally-friendly. Home Depot plans to take back old CFLs at all of their stores. That's about 2,000 locations in the U.S.

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Steve & Barry could be bankrupt soon

High flying fashion retailer Steve & Barry's may be heading for a fall. According to a report in today's Wall Street Journal, the company is planning to close more than 100 stores and may be considering a complete sell-off. Earlier this year, the chain was seen as a rare success story in the increasingly bleak retail sector. Steve & Barry's stores were popping up all over the place. Now, the company is looking for $40 million to stay afloat. If they don't find it, they could file for bankruptcy later this week.

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Beer and chips? How about both at once?

Nothing like an American holiday to get you eating. A Portland, Oregon company is hoping its chips will get you dipping. The company has come out with the "Beer Chip" -- it's a combination of two-party staples in one. The company is called Beer Chips, but it's not limited to one type of alcohol. It's also sells margarita and bloody mary flavored chips as well. Perfect for the hangover.

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