Selfridges has revealed its first batch of unbranded products as part of its month-long "No Noise" quiet shopping promotion.

Ahead of Monday's official launch of the event, the British retailer's Oxford Street flagship in London has unveiled its first collection of de-logofied products in partnership with brands in its food hall a trio of bare labels created by Heinz for its iconic ketchup bottle, baked beans tin and Marmite jar. (Warning: It's a "very limited" collection by Heinz, tweeted Selfridges food and restaurants manager David Jarvis.)

Selfridges grocery section of its food hall is now offering on-the-spot juicing by Juice Club UK, healthy snacks (and a food prescription consultation) from WinNaturally and other "food for thought" as part of the promotion inspired by the store's namesake founder — whose story is coming to British TV on Sunday night, with Jeremy Piven starring as "Mr. Selfridge" in ITV's new period drama series.

Other "No Noise" elements shoppers can check out include free meditation sessions and motion sensor window displays from Headspace, cellphone- and shoe-free shopping, art and (quiet) music performances and other moves to turn down the visual and auditory volume as a minimalist kick-off to the new year.Continue reading...

A once-in-a-decade occurrence in China, the overlap of Chinese National Day and the Mid-Autumn Lunar Festival, is giving Chinese consumers a rare eight-day period with no work or family obligations. As a result, Chinese tourists are traveling in China and flocking to other areas, including Hong Kong (now in mourning following a ferry crash that killed 38 holiday revelers) and Europe.

While less than three percent of the Chinese have a passport, that number is rising 20 percent each year, according to Reuters. That means the current travel period is likely to be dwarfed by long-term prospects for Chinese tourism. It's true that China's economy has slowed along with the domestic appetite for luxury, but a segment of the population is decidedly well-heeled, and they still love to travel and shop.

It's certainly not stopping brands from pushing ahead in China — Louis Vuitton recently opened a flagship in Shanghai, and Ralph Lauren just opened five stores in China in the past two weeks, as David Lauren, the brand's EVP of Advertising, Marketing & Corporate Communications, told the New York Times' Andrew Ross Sorkin in a discussion at the Interbrand/New York Stock Exchange 2012 Executive Marketing Summit on Tuesday.Continue reading...

Apple and Samsung trade jabs as their high-stakes patent trial begins in San Francisco.

Avon opens talks to settle bribery charges.

BMW warns about tougher market conditions.

Bud Light Premium helps AB InBev sell less beer for more.

Coach suffers from competition from Michael Kors and other handbag purveyors.

Ford brand loyalty validated by new ranking.

Gap fall kids campaign continues bright color theme.

Google buys Wildfire social marketing firm.

Heineken invites creatives to redefine draught beer experience.Continue reading...

Warner Bros. issues statement as The Dark Knight Rises opens somberly as Denver gunman kills 14 at screening, while movie opens strongly at box office.

Heineken offers $4.1 billion to buy out JV partner for Asia Pacific Breweries stake as Kirin's next move pondered.

Chick-fil-A homophobia shamed by actor Ed Helms.

Apple's original iPad prototype revealed as new iPad launch in China today fails to cause a fuss.

BlackBerry woes broken down to five mistakes by nymag.com.

Comcast prepares ultra high-speed broadband.Continue reading...

With Paris Fashion Week in full swing through Wednesday, the autumn/winter 2012 collections included a special celebration on Friday night: the 10th anniversary for Alber Elbaz as the creative director of Lanvin. The designer, who made a splash in 2010 with his collaboration with H&M, celebrated with guests including Tilda Swinton, Jade Jagger and Pharrell Williams. Take a peek at the show's colorful bejeweled brocades and furs below.Continue reading...

Cartier is celebrating its 165th anniversary with a cinematic ad that features the jewelry-maker's classic diamond panther comes to life, prowling its iconic designs in a visually stunning series of outdoor settings that span the globe. As the brand puts it, "L'Odyssée de Cartier" commercial is "a journey between dream and reality. For the very first time, Cartier has decided to create a cinema epic focusing on its history, its values and inspiration, its artistic and universal scope." Watch it below.Continue reading...

Hulu reportedly draws bids from Amazon, Yahoo and Google.

Google+ usage plateaus, while Google dominates US web brands, adds offline access to Gmail and apps in boost for Chromebook.

Dish Network revels in blocked AT&T merger with "challenger brand" T-Mobile, while AT&T forges on with $700 HTC Jetstream Android tablet announcement.

GM reboots "Chevy Runs Deep" campaign.

Amazon's Android tablet could erode Apple's iPad dominance, while @author program elevates writers' brands.

Apple may have another lost iPhone fiasco on its hands.

Britney Spears' medical records protected by judicial decision in branding lawsuit.Continue reading...

Airbus unveils transparent plane concept.

American Airlines to offer Samsung tablet for inflight movies.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs is set to become a comic book superhero.

Citi reportedly knew about hacking "weeks" before revealed.

Comcast and Skype partner on HD video calling service.

Facebook IPO could be worth $100 billion, as US privacy groups balk at site's facial recognition — and Mark Zuckerberg may be (says Bill Gates) engaged.

HP executive churn continues.

Lanvin introduces children's collection.Continue reading...