The best argument for going green is that it’ll help conserve natural resources and money at the same time. The new breed of “green” supercars led by Ferrari and Porsche doesn’t really do either.
Odd Spending
Most middle-school kids have better things to think about than whether or not they’re members of the 1%. But one Los Angeles charter school upped the ante on the usual social anxieties of its annual dance when it installed a “V.I.P. lounge” — with a separate cover charge. On top of the $15 dance admission, [...]
Businesses will go to great, and sometimes unusual, lengths in order to entice customers into going shopping. With the goal of becoming a “destination,” rather than just another place to shop, malls and car dealerships are getting creative. They’re installing new features and additions in order to woo consumers and set themselves apart from the [...]
When retailers and restaurants offer freebies, the point is to draw attention—not controversy. The only reason to protest 7-Eleven for giving out free Slurpees or Haagen-Dazs for dishing out free ice cream cones might be that the complimentary serving sizes are too small. But what do you expect when you’re paying $0? Now, though, a [...]
Nowadays, retailers and manufacturers can’t merely introduce a new product to consumers and call it a day. The way that 7-Eleven is launching “Slurpee Lite,” its new low-calorie drink, shows how a product rollout must be an “event.” This week’s event includes a big Slurpee giveaway.
Think staying off social-networking sites will help you preserve your privacy? Think again. In a new study, German researchers found that they could find substantial amounts of personal information about people who weren’t Facebook members just by seeing what their friends who were on Facebook posted about them.
A week ago, a federal agency announced its latest forecast for gas prices, which are expected to remain stable through the summer, averaging under $3.80 nationwide. While the overall average may indeed stay fairly flat, prices in individual states could fluctuate dramatically. That’s just what’s happened in the past week, with prices in one state [...]
Daily deal giant Groupon is known for its peculiar sense of humor. There was the time the site “bought” April Fool’s Day. The introduction of marketing gimmicks like the creepy virtual discount wheel called “Clicky” can only be attributed to some offbeat sense of what’s amusing. And of course, from the beginning, subscribers have been [...]
What does mom really want for Mother’s Day? The results of recent surveys offer some indication. (Hint: A nice dinner might be better than a taser—even a pink taser.)
What do chicken thighs, home safes, used SUVs, temporary tattoos for pets, American sperm, and Asian-American egg donations have in common? Lately, consumers have demonstrated a curiously high level of interest in these goods and services, along with a few other random ones.
Few people would make the case that we should encourage gambling. But what if gambling could be used as a ploy to improve road safety, recycling, school attendance, the financial well-being of citizens, and society as a whole?
