Accor speeds expansion after profits rise.

California Pizza Kitchen adds healthful items to menu.

Denny's to open 10 restaurants in Chile in first major expansion in South America.

ESPN extends deal with Major League Baseball through 2021.

FTC files false-advertising charges against Your Baby Can Read program.

Ford breaks ground on new plant in eastern China. Continue reading...

Walmart copes with fallout from revelations of bribery in Mexico.

Chrysler aims new Dodge Dart at Millennials, opens new door to get suppliers' best ideas, and returns to China with new concept vehicle at Beijing Auto Show.

Disney accepts resignation of film chief after loss on John Carter, while more companies hire Disney Institute to help with customer service.

Amylin is searching for a buyer.

Audi sees demand surge in China and U.S.

Avon arrives late at e-commerce.Continue reading...

Walgreen, the nation’s largest pharmacy, and a slew of independent pharmacies are investing in RxAlly, a “private company that is launching a network involving 20,000 pharmacies focused on better care coordination,” according to the Associated Press.

The idea is for pharmacists to have “a chance to work more with patients to improve care and cut costs.”Continue reading...

Apple hires Dixons CEO as new retail chief, while iPad sales propel Apple to top of PC market over HP. Apple patent challenger Samsung, meanwhile, faces EU inquiry.

AT&T names new strategy officer in management shuffle.

Bang & Olufsen debuts cheaper line of high-tech gadgets.

Belstaff brings luxury leather jackets to London and New York with dual flagships.

BSKyB to start movie service rivaling Netflix.

BlackBerry-maker RIM posts corporate governance report indicating why co-CEO role was scrapped.

Carrefour names yet another CEO in turnaround struggle.Continue reading...

Earlier this year Walmart pledged to step up in First Lady Michelle Obama's campaign to help America eat healthier.

Now, the mega-retailer is joining the First Lady's journey, crossing America’s “food deserts” along with some of its largest U.S. competitors (including Supervalu and Walgreen) in a pledge to make transform them to “food oases.” 

All three chains committed to opening stores in parts of the country where people lack access to fresh produce and meats, which according to Supervalu data, is more than 23 million people, including more than 6 million children.Continue reading...

Walgreens’ New York-centric Duane Reade division is throwing a red carpet opening tonight for its flagship store on Wall Street. That's right — a VIP bash to celebrate opening a new drugstore in a city that has one (it seems) on every other corner.

Duane Reade, which has been remodeling its stores, has been putting on a show to promote its new locations, including Broadway-style dancers and tuxedoed street teams. But this opening will top them all.

The 22,000-sq.-ft. new location will be open 24/7, in The Trump Building at 40 Wall Street, an iconic address that once upon a time was a bank hall known as the "Crown Jewel of Wall Street" and touted as the tallest building in the world.

40 Wall Street, which opens its doors to the public at 7am on Wednesday, is the chain’s most ambitious, glittering and elaborate store to date, geared to its moneyed, rushed, picky and well-heeled neighborhood clientele.

The elite amenities on offer certainly 'Trump' DR's other Manhattan locations to date.Continue reading...

P&G has upped its F-commerce game with new Facebook stores for Tide, Gillette, Olay, Gain, CoverGirl, Luvs and Febreze, mixing social with detergents, cosmetics and diapers in a bid to fish where the fish are — and make it convenient for them to swim up to the checkout.

P&G's pilot store launched on Facebook last year, powered by Amazon, but now, the e-commerce functionality is being outsourced to PFSWeb's eStore, the CPG giant's independent online e-commerce site selling its branded products directly to consumers.

“Shop now” buttons on each brand page link to a retail page for e-commerce with a splash tab inviting fans to “Purchase on Facebook through these trusted retailers.”Continue reading...

Chrysler to curb output because of Japan supply shortage.

Coca-Cola 'pips' PepsiCo with PlantBottle roll out in US to coincide with Earth Month.

Dish Network eyes Netflix in wake of acquisition of Blockbuster assets.

Fox News to end Glenn Beck’s show but retain alliance.

GE plans to build largest solar-panel plant in the world.

Google is revamping YouTube.Continue reading...