so long & farewell

Aetna And Humana Give Up On Merger Dreams, Agree To Part Ways

Aetna And Humana Give Up On Merger Dreams, Agree To Part Ways

Alas, it seems that for two companies this Valentine’s Day brings them a breakup they never wanted: After more than a year of trying, Aetna and Humana have officially called it quits, and given up on their plans to merge into corporate unity. [More]

Scott Akerman

FDA Rules: You Can’t Sell “Anti-Bacterial” Hand Soap With Triclosan Anymore

After more than half a decade of various proposals, investigations, and dithering, the FDA today has announced that it’s changing the rules. 19 active ingredients in your hand soap — most notably including triclosan, until recently very common — are going to be heading off the market. [More]

Uber Sells Its China Business To Competitor Didi For $35 Billion

Uber Sells Its China Business To Competitor Didi For $35 Billion

It’s easy to think of Uber as belonging squarely American millennials, but the ride-hailing app, and the ecosystem attached to it, are truly global enterprises. The service operates and competes in dozens of nations worldwide… except with one less, now that it’s having to give up on one of the most populated countries on Earth. [More]

Nicholas Eckhart

Here’s The List Of Sports Authority Stores That Are Closing

Yesterday, Sports Authority filed for bankruptcy, and right now they have two choices about how to go forward: sell out to a competitor or reorganize the company and their $1.1 billion in debt. they’re kicking off the proceedings by closing 140 stores. Here’s the preliminary list of stores that will close, which are scattered across the country but concentrated in Texas. [More]

Nicholas Eckhart

If Kmart And Sears Stores Close Without A National Press Release, Does Anyone Notice?

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, even as they continue to shut down underperforming stores. [More]

Motorola Heading To That Cellphone Store In The Sky As Parent Company Lenovo Starts Phasing Out Brand Name

Motorola Heading To That Cellphone Store In The Sky As Parent Company Lenovo Starts Phasing Out Brand Name

Clutch your Razr tight and give the StarTAC under your pillow a pat — the Motorola name will soon be a thing of the past. [More]

(JY O'Reilly)

Gap Is Shutting Down Piperlime, Which You’ve Maybe Heard Of

Gap is shutting down its Piperlime brand. “Piper what?” you may be saying. Exactly. The brand started as an online-only shoe store, then expanded to mostly selling items from designer brands that aren’t Gap Inc. brands. The brand was more upscale than Banana Republic, and that simply didn’t catch on with consumers. [More]

Waffle Joint Blames Groupon’s “Shocking Business Practices” For Its Demise After Only 3 Months

Waffle Joint Blames Groupon’s “Shocking Business Practices” For Its Demise After Only 3 Months

A Washington D.C. waffle joint that opened its doors just three months ago has announced it’s going out of business, which in itself isn’t news. Businesses in the food industry often don’t make it, after all. But in this case, the shop’s owner is blaming Groupon’s payment practices coupled with the sudden surge in demand for waffles as the reason for the restaurant’s early demise. [More]