A number of higher-end retailers, including Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus, recently stopped selling Ivanka Trump’s clothing and apparel line, citing slow sales. Now some Ivanka items are showing up on the less-glamorous racks of discount retailer Stein Mart, but without the Ivanka name. [More]
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Diet Pepsi Switches From Aspartame To Sucralose
As consumers slowly lose interest in diet beverages and in sodas overall, PepsiCo is out to follow changes in consumers’ sweetener tastes. One change is that people just aren’t into aspartame as much as they used to be, due to a combination of flavor and health concerns. As the quest for a palatable non-calorie sweetener continues, Pepsi is replacing aspartame wtih sucralose in their diet beverages. [More]
Elizabeth Arden Sends Out Cheaper Item, Hopes No One Notices
Lauren doesn’t normally spend a lot of money on makeup, and was excited to spot a seemingly-great promotion in our Morning Deals last month. Spend $65 on Elizabeth Arden cosmetics, and get a fabulous case stuffed full of eyeshadows, lipsticks, and brushes, with a stated total value of $350. (Makeup deal connoisseurs know that this isn’t quite true since the items in the kit were never for retail sale in the first place, but it’s still some fine face paint.) She placed the order, but when it arrived learned that the deal had been so popular that Elizabeth Arden had run out of the original gift cases. Did they contact her, cancel the order, or substitute something else of equal value? Nope. They subbed in a lower-value gift case, apparently hoping that customers wouldn’t notice. [More]
Bally Total Fitness Scams College Student By Swapping Contracts
Chanda signed up for a month-to-month membership at a Bally Total Fitness in Montclair, California, but when things went wrong—as they frequently do with this company—Chanda found himself signed up for a 3-year agreement. Their proof? An unsigned contract that doesn’t look like the one he was given.