PepsiCo rethinks soda pricing strategy in the US.

Discovery plans to launch online video network.

Sergio Garcia catches serious heat from sponsors Adidas, TaylorMade after Woods "chicken" comment.

Borders customers are stuck with their gift cards, judge rules.

ESPN layoffs show network's vulnerability.

Equal sweetens its look.

Ford plans to exit manufacturing in Australia as it launches new marketing campaign for Europe.

GE weighs selling off large parts of financing arm.Continue reading...

Having conquered the internet, video and now launched into music, Google is moving into shopping through YouTube's new "channel gadget."

"To shorten the path to purchase and translate video views to sales, today we’re introducing a new channel gadget on YouTube that will enable consumer goods brands to connect consumers directly with retailers throughout the entire YouTube experience," Google wrote in a blog post. "This new channel gadget will enable shoppers to seamlessly move from browsing how-to videos and featured products to finding which retailers carry them, check availability, compare prices and make a purchase, all with fewer clicks than today." 

Google's first client is Unilever’s Tresemmé, which already has a robust YouTube channel in place featuring celebrities and style setters. Now users can click on the products in demo videos for purchase information, a perk that will only appear on brand channel pages.Continue reading...

YouTube close to launching paid subscription channels, reports say. 

Amazon launches first Android app-store in China, ahead of Google. 

Pfizer lets bashful buyers get Viagra online.

Al Jazeera America plans to open Detroit bureau.

Asustek plans to make small Windows 8 tablets.

Audi considers doubling production at Mexico factory under construction.

Berkshire Hathaway provides peek at era after Buffett.

BuzzFeed takes steps to expand foreign news.Continue reading...

The retail stampede is on, as early bird shoppers are being wooed this year to become pre-bird shoppers.

Whether Black Friday actually starts on Thanksgiving Thursday at 5:23 p.m., which is when eBay says it starts, or 9 p.m., which is when Target is opening its doors, doesn't really matter anymore. The fact is that America's biggest shopping day is getting a jump on itself, and there's no going back. Neither will retailers trying to get a jump on Black Friday by pre-positioning themselves with shoppers weeks ahead of time as they set their Black Friday plans.

Walmart already has released its Black Friday promotions online — buy now! — telling USA Today that it has bought so "deep" that it will have enough of some of the hottest electronics items — including iPad 2s — to satisfy shoppers who are sure to swarm their stores on Thanksgiving night while the day's slate of NFL games on TV is still playing itself out. Of course, retail workers are outraged, with charges of "pure greed" being bandied about, while at least one Walmart (in Bergen County, NJ) is being forced to close for two hours on Thanksgiving to give staffers a chance to gobble down some turkey.

Walmart and other bricks-and-mortar chains have been shifting more of their deals for Black Friday to the web for some time now. Staples plans to begin on Thanksgiving Day with some special mobile offers. The National Retail Federation projects that fewer Americans will brave physical stores this year than last year — but thanks to the deals and ease of shopping online, they'll spend more.Continue reading...

In an interesting spin on product placement, the Target x Neiman Marcus Holiday24 cllection is being promoted on Sunday night's episode of Revenge on ABC (Twitter hashtag: #GiftofRevenge).  The episode is arranged in five vignettes, Target notes, adding that, "The episode will air with limited commercial breaks, as fans will be treated to a show-within-a-show complete with its own plot full of twists and turns."

Target celebrated its 50th anniversary with an event in New York, unveiling its upcoming Neiman Marcus holiday collection and web price-matching plan.

Even though economies are still rough around the world, people everywhere still desire to own all sorts of stuff that they don’t really need. Facebook, which now has about a billion users, is aiming to help some of those folks get what they want by enabling wishlists, a popular feature on retail sites such as Target.com and Amazon.com.

The famed social network is now showcasing the products of seven different retailers and allowing some users to click on a “want” button that will put the desired item on a wish list for others to see, Reuters reports. This is part of a test of “Collections” functionality, that will also see if buttons marked “Collect” or “Like” will work better. In time, all of Facebook’s users and brand partners) will have access to the tool.Continue reading...

Neiman Marcus has released its 2012 Christmas Book, with the fantasy gifts as over the top as ever, including a $100,000 chicken coop, a limited edition McLaren 12c Spider for $354,000, a $30,000 walk-on during a performance of Broadway's Annie, and his and hers watches from Van Cleef & Arpels for just north of $1 million. The watches, by the way, include a unique brand experience:

The package includes a first-class trip to Paris for a weekend, where you'll visit the Van Cleef & Arpels boutique and jewelry atelier. And a first-class trip to Geneva for a day of private tours of the Van Cleef & Arpels watchmaking workshops and a meeting with the designers and watchmakers. While in Paris and Geneva, Van Cleef & Arpels will arrange luxury accommodations, remarkable dining experiences, and entertainment to suit your preferences.

This also marks the first year that Neiman Marcus has released a mobile app to access exclusive content tied to its Christmas Book, and the first year it's going mass market via a tie-in with Target this season: a Holiday24 collection of 50 exclusive gifts by CFDA designers including Rodarte, Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta and Prabal Gurung, which will be sold starting Dec. 1st at both stores' retail and online locations.

Below, take a closer look at the 86th edition of the Christmas Book:Continue reading...