Weeks after Dunkin’ Donuts said it would ditch artificial colors over the next two years, fellow coffee shop chain Caribou Coffee has already established a so-called “clean label standard” for its beverages, eliminating artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners. [More]
Retail Services
Cable Company Sends Refund Check That Bounces, Bills Customer Twice For Service He Doesn’t Have
By 3.13.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
When Consumerist reader Andy canceled his Time Warner Cable service back in November he expected to get a small refund. But he got more than he bargained for: a bounced check fee, followed several months later by bills for service he no longer had. [More]
JCPenney Goes For Sears’ Jugular With Expanded Home Services
By 3.13.17
With questions arising about Sears’ ability to make it through another year without borrowing even more money from its own CEO, JCPenney has been quietly expanding its business to be more like the Sears of old, selling appliances and even heating/air-conditioning systems. Today, JCP went even further in its apparent efforts to kick Sears while it’s down. [More]
Twitter Disapproves Of Your $95 Mom Jeans With Clear Plastic Knee Windows
By 3.13.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
Have your kneecaps been Vitamin D deprived lately? Do you like the look of jeans with torn knees but also crave the knee sweat of plastic pants? Then we’ve got the fashion statement for you: High-waisted — literally “Mom jeans” — with clear plastic panels that make it look like your knees are on sale in a toy store. [More]
Gander Mountain Files For Bankruptcy, Plans To Close 32 Stores
By 3.13.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
The sporting goods retail apocalypse continues, and as predicted a month ago, the latest victim is Gander Mountain. The chain of hunting, fishing, and camping superstores, which does substantial business in firearms, filed for bankruptcy at the end of last week. The business will go up for auction, with company leaders hoping to close the sale by May 15. [More]
Watch Out For These 3 Upselling Tactics When Renting A Car
By 3.13.17
When you’re traveling and can’t rely on public transportation, renting a car is a convenient option. However, it can also come with a higher-than-advertised price tag when you add in the fees and optional services you might not actually need. [More]
Google & Levi’s Will Sell A $350 “Smart” Jean Jacket
By 3.13.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
There are devices you wear on your wrist or maybe strapped around your arm, but Levi’s and Google have gone a step further in the realm of so-called “wearables” with a jacket that wirelessly connects with the user’s smart phone. [More]
Gordmans Files For Bankruptcy, Will Liquidate
By 3.13.17 — Updated: 3.31.17
A week after reports suggested that midwest retailer Gordmans was preparing to file for bankruptcy, the off-price retailer has done so and revealed plans to liquidate assets. [More]
Regulators Investigating Hoverboard Fire That Killed 3-Year-Old Girl
By 3.13.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
Nearly eight months after the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled more than 500,000 “hoverboard” scooters from eight manufacturers over fire hazards posed by the devices’ lithium-ion battery backs, the agency has opened an investigation into a fire that killed a 3-year-old girl in Pennsylvania on Friday. [More]
Here Is The List Of RadioShack Stores Closing Soon
By 3.10.17 — Updated: 3.17.17
RadioShack is, once again, bankrupt and all of its locations that aren’t being converted to Sprint stores are potentially on the chopping block. A new court filing has finally revealed which of the nearly 200 Shacks will be closing in the immediate future. [More]
Amazon Launches Spanish-Language Version Of U.S. Site
By 3.10.17
Amazon is no stranger to selling in multiple languages, with sites in more than a dozen countries, but until now the U.S. version Amazon has never included an option to make it more accessible to Spanish-speaking users. [More]
Kohl’s Appears To Break Own Policy By Not Refunding $1,500 Credit Card Overpayment
By 3.10.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
When you overpay your credit card, should you be able to get a refund? One Arizona family accidentally paid their Kohl’s credit card bill twice, but the retailer refused to refund their $1,500, even though Kohl’s policies and federal regulations require it. [More]
RadioShack May Close Somewhere Between 530 And All Of Its Stores
By 3.9.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
For the second time in 25 months, electronics retailer RadioShack has filed for bankruptcy protection. The first time around, The Shack closed just over half of its stores, partnering with Sprint to keep the rest open and preserve thousands of jobs. This week, the company formed to keep the brand going sought permission from the bank to close between one-third and all of its stores. [More]
Chipotle Closing All 15 ShopHouse Asian Kitchen Locations
By 3.9.17
Five months after Chipotle said it would stop investing in the growth and development of its Asian-inspired ShopHouse Kitchen chain, the company announced plans to close all 15 locations, essentially abandoning the brand. [More]
Restaurants Adding Surcharge To Customers’ Bills Amid Rising Labor Costs
By 3.9.17
Restaurants are taking a cue from the cable industry: Rather than raise menu prices to cover the higher cost of paying wages, some eateries are tacking on “labor surcharges.” [More]
Home Depot Will Pay $25 Million To Banks, Credit Unions Over 2014 Data Breach
By 3.9.17
Home Depot’s legal battles over the massive 2014 data breach that saw millions of customers’ card accounts compromised may finally be nearing an end, with news that the home repair retailer has reached a deal that will pay $25 million to banks and credit unions who had to help mop up Home Depot’s mess. [More]
Sears CEO Tells Employees Things Look Great After Losing $2.2 Billion In 2016
By 3.9.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
Years ago, Sears Holdings chairman Eddie Lampert came to our attention by publishing a 15-page manifesto about pretty much everything. Since then, Lampert has taken on the job of CEO, despite not having any experience in the retail business and having what at times seems like an active dislike of the retail business. He periodically issues mini-manifestos for employees and for the public about how everything is fine, and published another this morning. [More]
Staples Still Doing Well After Failed Office Depot Merger; 70 North American Staples Stores To Close
By 3.9.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
While we consumers think of Staples as the brick-and-mortar retailer that we go to when we need a printer cartridge, that’s not how the company thinks of itself. After a disappointing quarter of sales while the company is still trying to get over the breakup of its engagement to Office Depot, its leaders told investors that they plan to focus on services, including delivery to offices and to homes. [More]
