Just when you thought that America had sustained the biggest blow to traditional sensibilities about retailing, with the encroachment of Black Friday on Thanksgiving Day, comes this news: Macy's is opening 24 hours a day for Christmas shopping!

That's right, the venerable retailer — one of the last remaining stalwarts of the mainstream-department-store business — is going totally mass-merchandiser on us by caving to the manic demands of U.S. consumers. Macy's will open most of its stores for 48 hours straight for its last scheduled One Day sale in the weekend before Christmas. The sale will start at 7 a.m. on Friday, December 21, and run through 7 a.m. on Sunday, December 23.

"We hope to make it easy for our customers across the country to finish their shopping at any time of day or night," stated Peter Sachse, Macy's chief stores officer. You've got to believe, kids!Continue reading...

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Among hip-hopreneur Diddy’s many pressing responsibilities to furthering the brand of himself is as a “brand ambassador” of Ciroc vodka. So when he sees someone sipping on some other brand, he’s got to, you know, let them in on the secret that his vodka might be better than theirs.

Diddy recently did just this in an Atlanta nightclub when he noticed an attendee drinking Grey Goose vodka, an archrival. It didn’t help him that the whole thing, like everything else these days, was captured on video and soon uploaded to YouTube where anyone in the world (who doesn’t live in a totalitarian government state) can witness his suggestion. But even he now admits he came across a little too strongly.Continue reading...

His fashion brand is called Sean John, while personally he's been known as Puff, Puffy, Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Diddy, King Combs, and even by his real name, Sean Combs. Now, he'd like to be known by another name — "Swag." But only for one week. Mr. Combs explains the temporary rebranding above.

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P&G acquired Natura Pet Foods; also faces US investigation over Pampers Dry Max as brand prepares to launch in the UK. Other brands in the headlines:

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Blockbuster releases open API to spur distribution.

Conan O'Brien chats up YouTube and Google staffers.

Diddy's Sean John line will be exclusively carried by Macy's.

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British Airways, “British enough”?

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Chrysler introduces sales incentives.

Domino's ad blitz pays off.

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