Starbucks is certainly feeling bullish these days. Just a few years after scaling back its US retail footprint in a rocky economy, the coffee giant is now eyeing "accelerated global growth" with plans to open thousands of new locations. It's even offering a luxe "superpremium" gift card that'll cost $450 to put in a Christmas stocking.

In a presentation at the company's biennial investor conference today, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz glowed with the news that he plans to boost the number of Starbucks cafes in the Americas by more than 20 percent — opening more than 3,000 new shops over the next five years, including 1,500 in the United States, still its biggest market.Continue reading...

The holiday shopping season is in full swing, and Starbucks would love to offer one-stop shopping so its caffeinated customers needn't bother with any other retailer. Why not pick up some gifts while refuelling during holiday shopping?

To help make that happen, the 41-year-old company collaborated with funkster designers Rodarte, the fashion label known for its hip clothing and Black Swan costumes, to create a few limited edition stocking stuffers for its North American holiday collection.

Rodarte has designed for Starbucks a tumbler as well as a tote bag, reusable up sleeve, and a Starbucks card. If it appears that the Starbucks logo is a bit blurry and pixelated, you don't need to get your eyes checked because it is — a daring choice for a brand that put so much energy and cash into its logo redesign almost two years ago.Continue reading...

Google TV adds LG to the fold with Samsung, Sony and Vizio ahead of CES, and 2012 global rollout.

Louis Vuitton finally expands brand into perfume.

Apple pays $5M to settle patent lawsuit.

Barnes & Noble eyes Nook spin-off with eye to global markets.

BMW brings MINI to India.

Deloitte finds 9M U.S. cable homes have cut the cord.

Discovery urges investors to be patient with Oprah Winfrey's network.Continue reading...

As the world's largest online marketplace, eBay has to constantly defend its brand against vendors selling knock-off branded goods on its site.

To make clear its commitment to thwarting counterfeiters, eBay has partnered with the US Council of Fashion Designers of America on "You Can't Fake Fashion," a campaign to raise awareness against counterfeit goods and celebrate original design.Continue reading...

It’s like “orbiting the earth’s atmosphere sort of feeling…a lovely moment,” said Colin Firth on being nominated for Best Actor for The King’s Speech. Now that he's a winner and a (literal) star in Hollywood, his value in Hollywood is projected to skyrocket.Continue reading...

According to commercial rules by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, this TV commercial for Miss Dior Chérie perfume, directed by Sofia Coppola and starring nominee Natalie Portman, can't air during the Oscars telecast near the Best Actress category.

It's fine during the red carpet pre-show broadcasts, where it has already aired during E!'s red carpet coverage — where Portman was spotted wearing Rodarte in a nod to the Mulleavy sisters' costume designs for her Black Swan outfits, which were snubbed in the Best Costume category. They are, however, on display nearby at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art.

The Independent Fashion Bloggers association has over 10,000 active members. 10,000 fashionistas—or fashionistas in training—hungry for the latest style dish and eager to flavor their blogs with a pinch of Brand A or Product B. Because it’s a network, the exposure can be exponential. Brands are lucky if just one of those fiercely independent top bloggers chooses to praise their products – right?

The answer is: What’s luck got to do with it? Many of those 10,000+ bloggers aren’t so independent anymore, and so brand mentions aren’t necessarily so serendipitous. Respected teen style icon Jane Aldridge, who pens Sea of Shoes, has partnered with both Barney’s and Urban Outfitters. True, she might have mentioned the latest pair of Manolos anyway, not just because they’re available at Barney’s. But now those keystrokes are, well, incentivized. 

Instead of models, ads for J.C. Penney’s summer campaign feature real-girl bloggers Jennine Jacob (proprietress of The Coveted) and Jessica Schroeder (of What I Wore), and the Penney back-to-school campaign includes videos from teen bloggers and vloggers, or video bloggers, such as Bethany (aka MacBarbie07) above.Continue reading...

* Donald Trump has launched Trump Tea, with four blends named after his favorite places, including New York's Union Square.

* Tiffany & Co. sales increased almost 10% in the second quarter, with half of sales now outside the US.

* LVMH is reportedly eyeing sister-owned fashion label Rodarte as an acquisition, and is now a part-owner of China's Emperor Watch and Jewellery brand, where it sees a big opportunity among Chinese wealthy.

* Chloe's next CEO will be Geoffroy de la Bourdonnaye, a French luxury vet with tenures at LVMH and Disney. He replaces Ralph Toledano, who unexpectedly exited this week.Continue reading...