Reuters: Consumer Products & Retail News

UPDATE 1-UK set to snatch GM's Astra from Germany - sources

Wed, 16 May 2012 17:35:22 GMT

LONDON, May 16 (Reuters) - Britain is on the cusp of securing a deal that would see General Motors build the next generation of its Astra compact model at Ellesmere Port rather than in Germany, sources said on Wednesday.

UPDATE 2-Skechers settles U.S. charges over toning-shoe ads

Wed, 16 May 2012 17:18:09 GMT

* FTC: Skechers made unfounded claims about "toning shoes"

FEATURE-Facebook IPO triggers retail investor craze

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:47:36 GMT

* Retail investors ignore warnings from wealth managers

UPDATE 2-Apple readies iPhone with bigger screen-sources

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:29:18 GMT

* Production of new screens begins at 3 suppliers-sources

UPDATE 4-Target raises profit forecast; shares inch up

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:01:29 GMT

* Shares fractionally higher (Adds sales forecasts, updates stock activity)

UPDATE 3-Chico's bets on new styles to drive more full-price selling

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:42:15 GMT

* Shares rise 6 pct (Adds analyst, CEO comments, updates share movement)

Online retailer My-wardrobe to open Asian doors

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:14:21 GMT

SINGAPORE, May 16 (Reuters) - Consumer comfort, social media and mobile devices lie at the heart of online retailer My-wardrobe's strategy in Asia, said Sarah Curran, the company's founder, on Wednesday.

UPDATE 2-Staples international sales fall on weak Europe demand

Wed, 16 May 2012 13:23:40 GMT

May 16 (Reuters) - Staples Inc, the largest U.S. office supply chain, said sales at its international business fell for the third straight quarter, as demand in Europe remains weak, sending its shares down 4 percent in premarket trading.

UPDATE 2-Abercrombie comparable sales down, shares fall

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:41:03 GMT

* Q1 same-store sales down 5 percent (Rewrites, adds analyst comments, byline; updates shares)

UPDATE 6-Facebook boosts IPO size by 25 pct, could top $16 bln

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:12:00 GMT

* GM pulls advertising from Facebook, underscores revenue concerns

CORRECTED-UPDATE 1-Staples sales disappoint on international weakness

Wed, 16 May 2012 11:33:35 GMT

(Corrects to show Staples' adjusted earnings were in line with analysts' estimates; changes headline, paragraph 1 to say sales missed expectations)

Abercrombie quarterly profit shrinks

Wed, 16 May 2012 11:16:26 GMT

May 16 (Reuters) - Abercrombie & Fitch Co posted an 88 percent drop in quarterly profit on Wednesday, hurt in part by difficult market conditions in Europe.

Staples posts lower 1st-qtr results

Wed, 16 May 2012 10:12:54 GMT

May 16 (Reuters) - Staples Inc, the largest U.S. office supply chain, posted lower quarterly results as sales at its international business fell.

UPDATE 1-Mobile sales dip as China buyers hold off-Gartner

Wed, 16 May 2012 08:45:01 GMT

* Global market shrinks 2 pct after 10 straight qtrs of growth

UPDATE 1-Samsung loses $10 bln mkt value on Apple order report

Wed, 16 May 2012 08:36:12 GMT

* Samsung down 6.2 pct, biggest fall in nearly 4 years

INTERVIEW-John Lewis ups sales guidance, sees UK recovering

Wed, 16 May 2012 07:18:42 GMT

LONDON, May 16 (Reuters) - John Lewis, Britain's biggest department store group, has raised its sales guidance after outperforming a flat retail market in its first quarter and believes the economy is on course for a slow recovery, despite a recent dip back into recession.

UPDATE 1-China Mobile in talks with Apple for iPhone

Wed, 16 May 2012 05:19:23 GMT

* TD-LTE technology tests expanding in China (Adds details, quotes)

UPDATE 2-HTC new phone US sales delayed due to customs review

Wed, 16 May 2012 04:56:24 GMT

TAIPEI, May 16 (Reuters) - U.S. sales of two new smartphones from Taiwan's HTC Corp will be delayed due to a patent dispute with Apple Inc, a fresh blow to the company as it tries to turn around declining sales in what was once its largest market.

Facebook boosts IPO size by 25 pct, aims for $15 bln

Wed, 16 May 2012 03:10:00 GMT

* Facebook raises IPO price range to $34 - $38 per share

China Mobile chairman says actively talking to Apple

Wed, 16 May 2012 03:08:23 GMT

HONG KONG, May 16 (Reuters) - China Mobile, the world's biggest carrier by subscribers and the only Chinese operator that does not officially carry the iPhone, is actively negotiating with Apple Inc on the issue, its chairman said on Wednesday.

J.C. Penney sales tumble, scraps dividend

Wed, 16 May 2012 01:25:00 GMT

(Adds details on results, analyst comment, updates stock price)

UPDATE 3-GM to drop Facebook ads due to low consumer impact

Tue, 15 May 2012 23:32:30 GMT

* Automaker spent $1.1 bln on US ads last year -research firm

UPDATE 3-Relational discloses PepsiCo stake

Tue, 15 May 2012 23:25:09 GMT

May 15 (Reuters) - Activist investor Relational Investors LLC disclosed its stake in PepsiCo Inc on Tuesday, a move that could put more pressure on the company as it works to improve performance in its North American soft drink business.

UPDATE 2-GM to drop Facebook ads due to low consumer impact

Tue, 15 May 2012 22:28:14 GMT

* Automaker spent $1.1 bln on US ads last year -research firm

UPDATE 1-J.C. Penney sales plummet, cuts dividend

Tue, 15 May 2012 21:24:22 GMT

* Shares down about 13 pct afterhours (Adds CEO comment, background; updates stock price)