Dec. 9, 2010 at 3:47 p.m.
Filed under:
Consumer news,
Food,
Packaged foods,
Recalls
By Reuters
Johnson & Johnson issued a recall of its Softchews Rolaids antacids Thursday after wood and metal bits were discovered in the tablets.
J&J, which recalled some Rolaids products in November, said it was voluntarily recalling all lots of the Softchews products after potentially uncovering problems with a third-party manufacturer.
The recall is the latest in a string of pulled products for J&J’s consumers unit that has drawn attention from U.S. authorities and Congress, hurt sales for its consumer products parent company and tarnished J&J’s reputation. Get the full story »
Dec. 9, 2010 at 11:44 a.m.
Filed under:
Consumer news,
Retail
By Gregory Karp
The Consumer Federation of America on Thursday offered advice for online shoppers to keep their wallets and identities safe this holiday season.
“Unfortunately, there are scam artists and some less-than-honest retailers that take advantage of unwary buyers,” Susan Grant, CFA director of consumer protection, said during a news conference Thursday morning. Get the full story »
By Reuters
General Mills Inc. is lowering the amount of sugar in its children’s breakfast cereals to no more than 10 grams per serving from 11 grams a year ago, the latest move from a U.S. foodmaker to address childhood obesity.
The step-down in sugar by General Mills, the maker of Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs and Trix cereals, is a move closer to its year-old goal to reduce to single-digit levels the number of grams of sugar per serving in all of its cereals advertised to children under 12. Get the full story »
Dec. 8, 2010 at 5:41 a.m.
Filed under:
Consumer news,
Technology
By Associated Press
The FBI says it recently issued an alert about a popular Barbie doll with a hidden video camera that could be used to produce child pornography, but stressed that the toy has not been linked with any reported crimes.
FBI spokesman Steve Dupre said Tuesday the alert last month was meant only for law enforcement agencies to advise them not to overlook Mattel’s “Barbie Video Girl” during any searches. The alert was sent out by the bureau’s Sacramento office. Get the full story »
Dec. 3, 2010 at 6:04 p.m.
Filed under:
Consumer news,
IPOs,
Internet,
M&A,
Startups,
Technology
Groupon CEO Andrew Mason speaks at the company's headquarters on Aug. 31, 2010. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
By Melissa Harris and Wailin Wong
The deal didn’t tip after all.
Chicago-based Groupon Inc. has turned down an acquisition offer from Google Inc. and is staying independent, two sources with direct knowledge of the situation said Friday.
The two companies had been engaged in talks, with speculation about the marriage reaching a fever pitch over the last week. Mountain View, Calif.-based Google reportedly had offered between $5 billion and $6 billion for the daily deal start-up. Get the full story »
Nov. 26, 2010 at 12:53 p.m.
Filed under:
Consumer news,
Retail
By Tribune staff report
The holiday shopper are off and running — more or less. Follow what’s happening at the malls and major retailers.
Nov. 24, 2010 at 4:48 p.m.
Filed under:
Consumer news,
Energy
By Julie Wernau
A large number of Nicor Gas customers are overpaying for a repair service that is rarely used, according to consumer advocates who argue that utility is improperly selling the service through an unregulated affiliate to divert revenue to the utility.
About 20 percent of Nicor customers are signed up for the service — Gas Line ComfortGuard — which covers the cost to inspect and repair a gas leak in a home. They pay $4.95 per month, but just 2 percent of those customers ever need the service, and the average payout is just 10 cents per month per customer, according to an analysis by consumer watchdog group Citizens Utility Board. Get the full story »
Nov. 23, 2010 at 10:22 a.m.
Filed under:
Advertising/Marketing,
Consumer news
By Becky Yerak
As the New Year approaches, most people would like to say “good riddance” to something.
About 200 people nationally even entered a Good Riddance Day contest sponsored by Cincinnati-based Cintas Corp., sharing the 2010 memories they’d most like to shred. Get the full story »
Nov. 22, 2010 at 12:16 p.m.
Filed under:
Consumer news,
Government,
Recalls
By Gregory Karp
Superhero flashlights, Shrek drinking glasses from McDonald’s, a Fisher-Price inflatable ball and a boys’ Santa suit from Macy’s all seem innocent enough. But they were among the 147 children products — some 44 million individual items — recalled so far this year in the United States for being potentially dangerous.
Because the number of recalls has become overwhelming for parents to track — about double the number from last year — the Illinois Attorney General’s office has for the fourth year compiled an annual “Play it Safe” guide of dangerous toys, jewelry, baby gear and clothing. Items in the guide have been recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in 2010. Get the full story »
Nov. 22, 2010 at 10:58 a.m.
Filed under:
Consumer news,
Retail
By Becky Yerak
Just in time for the holidays, Consumer Reports has released a list of 10 companies, including United Airlines, that it believes have been naughty to shoppers, and 10 that have been deemed as nice, including U.S. Cellular.
The Naughty & Nice Holiday List is based on input from Consumer Reports’ reporters and editors who cover such areas as shopping, travel, hospitality and telecommunications. Consumer Reports notes that the Naughty & Nice Holiday List is based on specific policies and doesn’t reflect the company as a whole. Get the full story »
Nov. 19, 2010 at 12:59 p.m.
Filed under:
Consumer news,
Energy
By Associated Press
Filling up at the pump for Thanksgiving weekend will likely cost Americans the most in three years. After that, analysts say, prices should drop as weak winter demand takes effect.
Gasoline prices reached $2.89 a gallon earlier this week and appeared set to eclipse the high for the year of $2.92. A number of factors, from rising oil prices to lower U.S. production due to seasonal refinery maintenance, contributed to a 5-cent increase in retail gas prices in the past month.
Nov. 18, 2010 at 2:35 p.m.
Filed under:
Consumer news,
Entertainment,
Government
Bloomberg News | The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that injuries involving toys rose 7.6 percent last year, requiring more than 180,000 emergency room visits for kids younger than 15.
Nov. 18, 2010 at 8:48 a.m.
Filed under:
Autos,
Consumer news
By Wailin Wong
Allstate Corp. has launched a pay-per-use roadside assistance program that doesn’t require annual fees.
The Northbrook-based insurer cited studies showing that the average driver uses roadside assistance services just once every three years. Allstate said its Good Hands Roadside program meets the needs of 35 million households in the U.S. without such services, as well as 52 million households that pay annual fees for roadside assistance. Get the full story »
Nov. 17, 2010 at 11:28 a.m.
Filed under:
Banking,
Consumer news,
Investing
By Reuters
Citigroup Inc. plans to spend $3 billion to $4 billion on its consumer bank to attract more business from its wealthy, urban customers, the head of its North American consumer bank said on Wednesday. Get the full story »
Nov. 17, 2010 at 8:42 a.m.
Filed under:
Consumer news,
Economy,
Government
By Associated Press
Consumer prices rose moderately in October but there was little sign of inflation as the cost of autos, clothing and hotels fell. Gasoline prices accounted for most of the increase, rising by 4.6 percent in October, the biggest gain since July.
The Labor Department said Wednesday the Consumer Price Index rose by 0.2 percent last month, an increase from September’s 0.1 percent rise. Wall Street analysts had expected a slightly larger increase. It was the fourth straight rise.
