Alibaba names next CEO.

Denny's cancels franchise deal in China.

Google shows off sample apps for Project Glass a SXSW.

American Airlines and U.S. Airways prepare for merger bumps.

Apple and Samsung values soar.

Barney's New York rebrands Co-op stores as regular Barney's.

BlackBerry stock jumps on Lenovo takeover interest rumor.

BMW to build sub-brand for China.

Boeing sees investigators focus narrowly on batteries in Dreamliner probe.

China's Spring Airlines adds cars to in-flight sales offering.Continue reading...

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia snapped up all the rights to Emeril Lagasse products back in 2008 for just $50 million. Now that branded merchandise may cost her another $24 million in legal fees.

MSLO was selling Lagasse’s knives for Wusthof that bore his signature logo and the inscription “Solingen, Germany” on HSN, formerly known as the Home Shopping Network, and its website. That mark labels them as having been made in the so-called “City of Blades,” a region of the country known for its excellent cutlery. TMZ hears that the knives were actually knockoffs from China.

Enter the legal team of the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce Wuppertal-Solingen-Remscheid, a trade association, which has filed suit against Stewart, Lagasse, and HSN and is seeking $24 million in damages, Law.com reports. Actually, Forbes adds that the association would like to receive $2 million for each and every time the knives were mentioned on HSN. Continue reading...

7-Eleven, JetBlue and Bliss go presidential with "poll" promotions as Pizza Hut comes up with a controversial dare ahead of next week's debate.

Toyota recalls 7.4 million vehicles globally for power-window glitch and 2.5 million Lexus vehicles, as it plugs Prius on the Home Shopping Network.

Samsung signs TV deal with Spotify.

BAE and EADS terminate merger talks.

Bain Capital buys maker of Craftsman Tools.

Ballmer touts new era at Microsoft as bonus trimmed.

Cadbury tells bishop it's not precious about purple.

Chevron is rejected by Supreme Court in Ecuadorian case.Continue reading...

A123 Systems hit with recall of batteries for electric cars.

Apple plans to make greater investment in China as CEO Tim Cook meets with Chinese officials.

AT&T and Verizon threatened by freebie services fueled by Clearwire.

BMW tabs 1.3 million cars in massive recall.

Chipotle recycles old billboards for Earth Day.

Coca-Cola supports Michigan tourism campaign.

Corona evolves beach campaign.

Enterprise Products and Enbridge plan rival pipelines to Keystone XL.

Google warms to advertising its new services.Continue reading...

Apple slashes iAd pricing again as mobile ad share declines as its stock price and size cloud analysts' view of the rest of the economy.

Avon names new CFO to steer it through scandal and layoffs as it woos HSN CEO Mindy Grossman to take over.

Boeing locks in biggest order with Lion Air.

Carnival Cruise social-media strategy examined in wake of Italy disaster.

Embraer shows off Jackie Chan jet in China.

Heineken to cut costs, invest in emerging markets.Continue reading...

Online shopping is continuing to grow, but it still only accounts for less than 10% of actual retail sales, according to USA Today. However, consumers are much more informed about the products they buy and the best prices available due to research done on smartphones and online.

Because of this, some retailers are beginning to integrate interactive touchscreen experiences within their own retail spaces. In one high-profile example, Macy’s has been testing a four-foot-wide, interactive-touchscreen-covered Beauty Spot kiosk at four of its locations since November.

Powered by Intel, which is looking to make shopping more of an interactive, engaging experience, Macy's new touch-enabled intelligent connected system helps "self-directed" customers (the ones who shirk employee assistance with a dismissive "Just looking!" response) navigate the cosmetics section.Continue reading...

Bluetooth consortium creates consumer retail mark.

Bon Appetit sells branded culinary products on HSN.

Cigna is buying HealthSpring for $3.8 billion. 

Harley-Davidson recalls 308,000 motorcycles for brake issue.

Jeremy Scott unveils latest ObyO sneaker line for Adidas.

Jim Beam invites "biggest liquor takeover since 2005."

JPMorgan Chase and other financial firms test social marketing.

Mattel signs deal to acquire Thomas the Tank Engine parent HIT Entertainment for $680 million with backing from Apax Partners.

MTV plans Occupy Wall Street reality special, as American couple looks to cash in on Occupy Wall Street with trademark move.

Netflix subscriber losses are worse than expected.

NFL and American Idol duke it out for priciest US TV spot.

Oracle expands its cloud footprint with $1.43 billion RightNow acquisition.

Saab brand woes detailed in New York Times.

Yahoo attracts more potential suitors.

Allstate and other insurers brace for disaster claims.

Amazon finds a fierce bidder in Liberty Media's John Malone.

Armani bucks trend, vows to stay private.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America embrace social media.

British Airways among European airlines impacted by Iceland volcanic ash.

Camel Snus target smoke-restricted NYC.

Coach finds buyers returning to priciest bags.Continue reading...