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Mae Anderson

Procter and Gamble spins out Tide Pods

Last updated Monday, March 5, 2012 - 7:31am

NEW YORK — It took eight years, 450 product sketches, 6,000 consumer tests and hundreds of millions of dollars for Procter & Gamble to create something that it hopes will be destroyed in the wash.

Business, Procter & Gamble, Utah, Featured Read more Comments

Super Bowl ads battle for championship

Mae Anderson The Associated Press

Last updated Sunday, February 5, 2012 - 10:53pm

NEW YORK — The pressure was on. The tension was thick. And then, there were yawns in between.

Advertising, Super Bowl, National Read more Comments

This scene from an advertisement provided by the Coca-Cola Co. and Wieden + Kennedy, shows the polar bear tumbling through the air trying to catch his bottle of Coca-Cola before it falls to the ground. The "Catch," ad will be aired during Super Bowl XLVI, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012.

Super Bowl advertisers go after "second screens"

Mae Anderson The Associated Press

Last updated Wednesday, February 1, 2012 - 6:31pm

NEW YORK -- Call it the "second-screen" Super Bowl.

About two-thirds of smartphone and tablet owners use their gadgets to do things like text or post on Twitter while watching TV, according to research firm Nielsen. So, for Sunday's game, companies from Coke to Chevy are trying to reach fans on all the "second screens" they have.

Business, NFL, Advertising, Digital devices, Smartphones, Super Bowl, television, Football Read more Comments

Earlier deals, longer hours woo Friday shoppers

Mae Anderson The Associated Press

Last updated Friday, November 25, 2011 - 11:04am

A few violent incidents broke out across the country on Black Friday as millions of shoppers rushed into stores that opened their doors hours earlier than usual on the most anticipated shopping day of the year.

Black Friday, Christmas shopping, Retail, Shopping, National Read more Comments

(The Associated Press) In this photo provided by the Gap, items from the Gap's 1969 Men's fall collection are shown. Gap, the nation’s largest clothing chain, on Monday, Aug. 1, 2011 is rolling out a marketing campaign that features 30- to 90-second online documentary-style videos centered around the goings on at its denim design studio in Los Angeles called the Pico Creative Loft.

Gap touts jeans with tacos and Twitter

Mae Anderson The Associated Press

Last updated Wednesday, August 3, 2011 - 2:05pm

NEW YORK — The "1969: L.A. and Beyond" series of short videos has all the elements of a reality TV show. It has action. It has fashion. And the star of the show is always in demand.

Business, Clothing, Retail, National Read more Comments

In this screen shot provided by Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the film "True Grit" is shown as one of the titles available on the company's new video-streaming service. The world’s largest retailer on Tuesday, July 26, 2011 started streaming many movies the same day they come out on DVD, in a second bid for a share of popular movie rental and streaming website Netflix Inc.’s business and just two weeks after Netflix announced new price increases. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. bought video-streaming service Vudu.com 18 months ago and now offers 20,000 titles that can be viewed on almost any device with Internet access, from computers to televisions to Sony’s PlayStation3 and other Blu-Ray disc players. (AP Photo/Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)

Wal-Mart offers video streaming on website

Mae Anderson The Associated Press

Last updated Tuesday, July 26, 2011 - 10:54am

NEW YORK -- Now playing: Movies at Walmart.com.

The world's largest retailer on Tuesday started streaming many movies the same day they come out on DVD, in a second bid for a share of popular movie rental and streaming website Netflix Inc.'s business and just two weeks after Netflix announced new price increases.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. bought video-streaming service Vudu.com 18 months ago and now offers 20,000 titles that can be viewed on almost any device with Internet access, from computers to televisions to Sony's PlayStation3 and other Blu-Ray disc players.

Movies are available at Walmart.com to rent for $1 to $5.99 or to purchase for $4.99 and up. Wal-Mart is not offering subscriptions, making its service more similar to Apple Inc.'s iTunes, which charges $3.99 to rent newly released movies and $14.99 to buy a movie.

Business, Videos, Walmart, Website, Movies Read more Comments

10 Super Bowl commercials to watch

Mae Anderson The Associated Press

Last updated Saturday, February 5, 2011 - 6:01pm

Advertisers are rolling out celebrities, animals galore and old favorites to capture the attention of more than 100 million people expected to tune in for Super Bowl XLV on Sunday.

Business, Pro Football, Sports, Super Bowl, Football Read more Comments

Retailers roll out sales as snow hits East Coast

Mae Anderson, The Associated Press

Last updated Monday, December 27, 2010 - 10:44am

ATLANTA -- An East Coast snowstorm put a damper on after-Christmas shopping Sunday. But shoppers across the rest of the country searched clearance racks and spent gift cards in the afterglow of the best holiday season for retailers since 2007.

Business, Christmas shopping Read more Comments

Stores report September surge

Mae Anderson, The Associated Press

Last updated Thursday, October 7, 2010 - 6:49pm

NEW YORK -- Americans proved in September they are willing to spend, as long as the price and the product are right.

Business, Economy, Retail Read more Comments

(RON HEFLIN/The Associated Press) This July 23, 2006 file photo shows customers enter a Blockbuster video store in Dallas.

Future bleak for bankrupt Blockbuster

Mae Anderson, The Associated Press

Last updated Thursday, September 23, 2010 - 7:07pm

NEW YORK -- Blockbuster Inc., once the dominant movie rental company in the U.S., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Thursday, reeling from mounting losses, rising debt and competitors that have better catered to Americans' changed media habits.

Business, Economy, Retail Read more Comments

Ron Heflin/The Associated Press file photo
This July 23, 2006 file photo shows customers enter a Blockbuster video store in Dallas. The troubled video-rental chain Blockbuster Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection Thursday Sept. 23, 2010 as it tries to reorganize.

Debt, changing media habits topple Blockbuster

Mae Anderson, The Associated Press

Last updated Thursday, September 23, 2010 - 1:18pm

NEW YORK -- Blockbuster Inc., once the dominant movie rental company in the U.S., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Thursday, reeling from mounting losses, rising debt and competitors that have better catered to Americans' changed media habits.

Business, News, Featured, National Read more Comments