Last week, department store chain Macy’s announced its holiday season results and its plans to close 40 stores in the coming months. Shoe retailer Finish Line announced plans to close 150 stores by the year 2020. Yet what you never hear about in the national news anymore is how many stores Sears Holdings, corporate parent of Sears and Kmart, is planning to close. [More]
If Kmart And Sears Stores Close Without A National Press Release, Does Anyone Notice?
By January 13, 2016
American Airlines Admits Crew Shouldn’t Have Refused To Allow Safety Harness, Will Modify Pre-Flight Manual
By January 13, 2016
Remember John and his family, who wanted to use a child safety harness approved by the Federal Aviation Administration on a recent American Airlines flight, but were told they couldn’t? American has now admitted the pilot and crew were wrong for telling the family the device couldn’t be used during taxi and takeoff, and told John the airline will update its pre-flight manuals. [More]
Safety Board’s List Of “Most Wanted” Improvements Targets Distracted, Tired Drivers
By January 13, 2016
When you hear the words “most wanted,” the first thing to come to mind is probably a list of (alleged) criminals being sought by the authorities. But when the National Transportation Safety Board releases a “most wanted” list it takes on an entirely different meaning: a list of the top 10 transportation safety improvements on the roster for the new year. [More]
Big Lots Is Not Actually Slapping Different Prices On The Same Gloves
By January 13, 2016
While shopping at Big Lots, Joe noticed identical-looking pairs of gloves in different parts of the store. Yet the “garden gloves” in that department aren’t the same as the “work gloves” in the hardware department. Why not? Since Big Lots has many of the products they sell manufactured, we asked the company directly. The gloves that appear identical aren’t. [More]
LEGO Will No Longer Ask You Why You’re Buying An Actual Ton Of Bricks
By January 13, 2016
If you’ve got a plan to build a life-sized statue of Aaron Rodgers or Jeff Goldblum in your backyard, you’ll no longer have to explain to LEGO why you’re buying so many bricks. The company says it’s reversing its policy on bulk purchases, and won’t ask customers what their intentions are when they buy a bunch of LEGO pieces at once. [More]
More Cars Could Be Added To Massive Takata Airbag Recall
By January 13, 2016
Five months after lowering the number of vehicles recalled due to shrapnel-shooting Takata airbags, federal regulators are bracing to once again revise that figure upward, adding more vehicles to the years-long airbag defect list. [More]
Taco Bell Will Reportedly Use Super Bowl To Announce Year-Old “Quesalupa” Idea
By January 13, 2016
It’s been a year since we first got wind of the Taco Bell “Quesalupa” — or as Conan O’Brien put it, the “case of lupus” — and 11 months since the company began testing the vaguely taco-like object (complete with a soft, cheese-stuffed shell) in Dayton, Ohio. Now it looks like the Bell is set to unleash this menu item nationwide. [More]
Walmart Recalling 330,000 Electric Griddles That May Serve Up A Shock
By January 13, 2016
You might shock yourself while cooking by how many ways you can figure out to melt cheese into and onto things, but you shouldn’t actually receive an electrical shock in the process. That’s Walmart’s cue to recall 330,000 electric griddles that could pose a shock hazard to home chefs. [More]
Most Scams Use The Same Three Underlying Tactics To Steal Your Money
By January 13, 2016
From fraudsters bilking the elderly by posing as their cash-strapped grandkids, to fake lawyers defrauding immigrants in need of legal help, we’ve covered a wide range of scams on Consumerist. But while there are countless variations on these crimes, they are all based on the same few ideas. [More]
Google: Self-Driving Cars Would’ve Hit Something 13 Times Without Human Intervention
By January 13, 2016
Like any automaker testing self-driving cars in California, Google has to file reports with the state disclosing any incidents with their vehicles where a human test driver was required to take over. Though it says its cars are getting better at avoiding these “disengagements,” Google reported 13 incidents over a 14-month-period that would’ve resulted in a collision if a human hadn’t intervened. [More]
Tiffany Reminds Consumers (And Costco) That Their Brand Isn’t Just A Setting Name
By January 13, 2016
A few months ago, a federal judge found in favor of Tiffany in a years-long dispute between the jeweler and warehouse club Costco. At issue was the name “Tiffany,” which the warehouse club was using as a generic term to describe a style of ring, and the jeweler claims as its brand identity. Now a new ad campaign from Tiffany is nominally aimed at brides, but might as well be mailed straight to Costco’s lawyers. [More]
JCPenney Closing 7 Stores By Mid-April
By January 13, 2016
History appears to be repeating itself at JCPenney this week. Just days after the retailer announced its same-store sales were up through the holiday season, the company tempered that good news by unveiling plans to close several stores… again. [More]
“Fast Crafted,” “Fine Casual” & Other Nonsense Terms Restaurants Use To Avoid Saying “Fast Food”
By January 13, 2016
In the foodservice industry, fast food joints have long been referred to as “quick service restaurants” or QSRs, but that was never a term intended for use by the public, which was just fine using the equally accurate “fast food.” But for many in the QSR business, this phrase has the stink and sheen of rancid french fry oil. So they are increasingly turning to borderline nonsensical descriptors to avoid it. [More]
Waffle House Fires Workers Caught On Camera Running A Kitchen Hair Salon
By January 13, 2016
There are a few businesses where customers might expect to witness employees performing grooming rituals, of course. But because a restaurant is definitely not a salon, two Arkansas Waffle House workers were fired after customers filmed them doing stuff with hair in the kitchen. [More]
3 Common Misconceptions & 1 Important Truth About Privacy Policies
By January 13, 2016
It’s right there, somewhere. Buried deep in a menu under “legal” in an app, or lurking somewhere in the footer of a website that never seems to stop adding content while you scroll. Each of us encounters dozens of them every day and yet most of us never give any thought to them. It is, of course, the privacy policy. [More]
Aldi Getting Rid Of Candy In Checkout Lines
By January 13, 2016
Most of us have been there: You push a cart full of healthy food up to the supermarket checkout line only to cave to sugary temptation when running that final gauntlet lined with chocolate, candy, and other snacks. But that may soon be a thing of the past for Aldi shoppers. [More]
Wisconsin Farmers Challenging Law That Won’t Let Them Sell Baked Goods Without A Commercial License
By January 13, 2016
Three Wisconsin entrepreneurs are on a mission, and that mission is to get muffins, bread, pastries, and other delicious baked goods into the mouths of the people. Sounds delicious. But it won’t be easy, considering state law doesn’t allow residents to sell baked goods directly to the public without a licensed commercial kitchen. [More]
Power Company Keeps Billing House That Was Destroyed In Tornado
By January 13, 2016
At the end of last year, tornadoes in north Texas destroyed homes, killed twelve people, and caused as much destruction as you might expect of a tornado. One family near Dallas was fortunate that they were out of the country and not in their house when it was destroyed, but in the aftermath had to deal with a frustration that they didn’t need: their electric company kept sending them bills for power in their non-existent house. [More]
