RETAIL/CONSUMER GOODS

Valentine's Day is almost here! In case you don't have any Valentine's Day gift for your loved one yet, why not get him or her some chocolates? It's better than flowers because it's edible and yummy. Plus, it's more affordable than jewelry. And, it's so much easier to buy anywhere because it is available in a lot of stores, whether brick and mortar stores or online shops. The only challenge in getting chocolates as gifts for Valentine's Day is picking the best one. Due to...

Because of a new federal law in 2013 that banned the sale of alcoholic drinks inside sports stadium and arenas, plus a local ordinance approved in January 2014 that also prohibited sale of alcohol within 50 metres of sports venues, the Sochi Olympics is considered the driest winter games in Olympic history.

A social media campaign for the benefit of SPC ARDMONA reaches 14.6 million for the benefit of SPC ARDMONA

Large bricks-and-mortar retail shops in Australia would likely be both happy and sad with more foreign fashion brands opening stores in the Land Down Under.

"The Vampire Diaries" (TVD) star Ian Somerhalder tweeted about fashion retailer Lands' End banning the sale of items with Angora fur after seeing a PETA video of Angora fur farm cruelty. Somerhalder is a certified animal lover and the co-founder of the Ian Somerhalder Foundation (ISF) which was started to help animals, the environment and people as well as educate and empower mankind to make compassionate and sustainable choices for the planet earth and its inhabitants.

Because lowering the threshold from the current $1,000 for online purchases made by Australians would only cost more than the federal government would earn, the consumer action group CHOICE proposed a flat tax rate of $14 on parcels.

Kiwis once again are saying their stern no to the Ozs.

While the Auckland Police and the Auckland Medical Office of Health has not objected to the application by the Chow brothers for the renewal of the licence of their Penthouse Club and adjoining brothel Galaxy Club and application for a new licence of strip bar Mermaids and brothel Splash Club, a rival company tried to block the applications.

British fashion brand Marks & Spencer is coming to Australia. In preparation for its Australian launch, the company appointed two new directors to Marks & Spencer (Australia) Pty Ltd, which had been dormant for about 7 years.

Credit card skimming would soon become a thing of the past since beginning Aug 1, credit and debit card holders in Australia would no longer need to sign for the purchases of over $100. Instead, they would key in PIN codes in an attempt to significantly cut payment fraud.

A New York display along East Houston is generating buzz in the fashion industry because of three mannequins. It is not so much the white undergarments donned by the models that are the cause of the talk, but the fact that the mannequins have unshaved pubic hair sticking out of the undies.

David Jones on Queen Street would have a new tenant in February with the opening of American menswear retailer Brooks Brothers of a boutique store in Brisbane.

The 2014 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has just ended last Friday, Jan. 10, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada, but a lot of people are still buzzing about it, especially the newest technologies that were introduced during the convention. One of the amazing and practical technologies unveiled in the CES 2014 are smart locks which combine smartphones and house keys into one gadget to allow consumers to not just use their smartphones to call or send and receive messages, but also to unlock their doors an...

Liquipel, LLC, the company responsible for the revolutionary moisture and impact resistant technology for portable gadgets, including smartphones, tablets and mp3 players, has announced that it will be introducing its WaterSafeTM nano technology to fabrics, such as clothes and accessories. Liquipel made the announcement at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014.

Several counterfeit makeup products were tested including MAC and Chanel and were found to be loaded with harmful lead, beryllium, aluminum and bacteria. These fake cosmetics are proliferating in online retailers, flea markets, bazaars and swap meets. It has become increasingly rampant because of the popularity and ease of e-commerce.

New Zealand's Fonterra Co-operative Group has lost its supply contract with French food company Danone over the milk powder contamination scare in late 2013. Danone will likewise slap appropriate legal action against the Kiwi company for NZ$492.9 million compensation.

EyeLock, an advanced iris based identity management technology solutions company, recently introduced the new Myris iris scanners for security in consumer devices. It is a revolutionary technology that will elevate the current biometrics identification and security systems to a whole new level. And, what's great is that it will be made accessible to regular people, not just a chosen few.

One of the most anticipated events of the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2014 will be the moment when Corning Inc., the leading specialty glass and ceramics company in the world, unveils the world's first antimicrobial Gorilla Glass in Las Vegas, Nevada. According to Corning, it is the first antimicrobial cover glass to be registered with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It infuses ionic silver into the surface of the glass for continuous antimicrobial protection.

"American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest's Typo Keyboard for iPhone is being sued by Blackberry for patent infringement. Blackberry Ltd. filed a lawsuit in the Northern District of California against Typo Products LLC on Friday, Jan. 3, 2014.

The New Year's Eve Festival that was supposed to take place at the Wet 'n' Wild theme park on Dec. 31, 2013 was cancelled six hours before it was about to start and the theme park's management will reportedly refund tickets that were already sold for the said event.

There are a lot of amazing Android phones out in the market today and it gets better and better every year. In fact, there are a lot of options for Android phones now that are giving the Apple iPhones some stiff competition. Take a look at some of the best Android phones for 2014 including Google Nexus 5, Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One Google Play Editions (GPE).

The New Year 2014 seems like a much better time for tech gadgets than 2013. For starters, there are a lot of exciting gadgets planned for release on 2014. Check out the 2014 tech gadget predictions featuring smarter smart watches including the Apple iWatch, wearable television (TV), drones and 3D printers.

Myer is trying to placate frustrated online shoppers with a free postage offer. The Australian up-market department store chain’s online crashed on the biggest shopping day of the year, not only upsetting buyers, but also hurting its executives financially.

Gift cards are a popular present but they are also a rising cause of complaints, with Consumer Affairs Victoria receiving more than 60 complaints about gift cards between 1 January and 30 June 2013, doubling the 30 complaints received for the whole of 2012.

Aside from the delicious food, dazzling decorations, beautiful clothes and gifts, the holidays also bring about numerous sales from stores that want to cash in on the consumers' fat wallets and generous spirits. Unfortunately, it is also during this time that a lot of counterfeit products are being sold alongside the real ones. To avoid getting duped into buying fake products, especially electronics, check out some tips on how to spot fake electronics

The new "Lara Croft: Reflections" will reportedly be a free-to-play (F2P) collectible card game and is currently being tested in Australia and New Zealand. However, it is still unclear if the said game will also be available in the U.S. and in other parts of the world. But, if it turns out that it will be made available worldwide, then it is predicted to be released in 2014. As a free-to-play (F2P) card game, "Lara Croft: Reflections" can be downloaded for free, but gamers might be c...

Beyonce handed out $50 gift cards to 750 Walmart customers on Friday, Dec 20, 2013, after Amazon and Target refused to stock her new CD because she released it in secret on iTunes just minutes before midnight EST on Friday morning, Dec 13, 2013.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., an American Southern country themed chain of restaurants and gift stores founded in 1969 in Lebanon, Tennessee (TN), announced on Dec. 22, 2013 that they will bring back selected "Duck Dynasty" products that were deemed "offensive" in its stores' shelves just a day after announcing that it was pulling it out.

Cyanogen, a company known for its free, open source operating system and community built distribution of Android for smartphones and tablets, finally received Google's approval to produce the Oppo N1 phone after previously warning them in Nov. 2013 that its installer encourages phone owners to void their warranty.