It was only a matter of time before Rebecca Black's so-bad-it's-classic smash song Friday was repurposed into a "Black Friday" commercial. Bravo, Kohl's.

But it isn't just a "Rebecca Black Friday" this year — look, guys, it's Justin Bieber for Macy's! And we mean "guys."Continue reading...

Move over, Mini Darth — Daddy's back (Chewbacca, too) for Currys PC World in the UK.

Lingerie brand Fig Leaves launches interesting London Tube interactive campaign.

Click through for more seasonal fun.Continue reading...

Just what America needs: Along with our pumpkin pie and cranberries at Thanksgiving, trystophan-induced naps and too much football, now folks can start shopping before the last leftover stuffing is consumed as a midnight snack. This year, sales-starved merchants hope to lure bargain-hunting shoppers from the boredom induced by too much home, hearth and family by throwing open their doors before the clock strikes midnight.

But there does seem to be increasing resistance to the idea of a Black Thursday and shopping on Thanksgiving as an appetizer to Black Friday, the day after Thanskgiving that is traditionally one of the biggest shopping days in the U.S.

From Target employees to a mini-resistance movement that has been gaining voice in social media, it may be that we're not quite ready to give up Thanksgiving night just to get door-buster deals a few hours earlier than the early-morning openings on Friday that have sufficed until now.

Reportedly, more than 9,000 Target employees have signed a petition asking the chain's headquarters to wait until 5 a.m. on Black Friday to open the stores instead of the currently planned midnight opening. "We don't mind hard work, but cutting into our holidays is a step too far," the creator of the petition, a Target employee in Nebraska, told CBS.Continue reading...

Adobe drops Flash for phones in bow to Apple.

Airbus delays A350 plane or parts shortages.

Caterpillar buys Chinese mining-machine maker.

Google chief returns to trim bloated ship.

Groupon holds on to cash, griping merchants.

J.C. Penney taps into talent from Apple.

James Murdoch insists he wasn't told about hacking evidence at News Corp.'s News of the World.Continue reading...

Google officially launched brand pages on Google+ today, ending months of waiting. The Web giant's pitch to convince businesses and brands to sign up (and unseat Facebook's dominance as the go-to social destination for businesses):

"Google+ pages help you connect with the customers and fans who love you. Not only can they recommend you with a +1, or add you to a circle to listen long-term. They can actually spend time with your team, face-to-face-to-face. All you need to do is start sharing, and you'll soon find the super fans and loyal customers that want to say hello."

Charter branded G+ pages at launch showed the array of business-hosted pages possible:Continue reading...

Filene's Basement, the American retailer famed for its "Running of the Brides" wedding dress sales, and sibling retailer Syms, known for its tagline "an educated consumer is our best customer," are now facing the ultimate markdown: chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Syms was founded in 1958 by Sy Syms, while Filene's dates back to 1909, when Edward Filene opened his first store (in Boston) to sell overstock from his family's department store located upstairs. Syms bought Filene's Basement out of bankruptcy in 2009. 

"This has been a challenging time for Syms and Filene's Basement," said CEO Marcy Syms, Sy's daughter, in a statement explaining why the board approved filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with plans to liquidate and close the famed stores in the new year. "We have been faced with increased competition from large department stores that now offer the same brands as our stores at similar discounts."Continue reading...

The NHL is having some success marketing its events outside of the usual everyday games. From its New Year’s Day outdoor Winter Classics, which now feel like they’ve been around forever, to the televised “draft” of superstars at last year’s All-Star Game, the league is finding successful ways to draw in fans and marketers alike.

Now comes an attempt at another new tradition: the Thanksgiving Friday Game. (That’s the 2011 Discover NHL Thanksgiving Showdown to you, buster.) Discover will be sponsoring the game this year between the Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins at 1 p.m. on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

So those of you who don’t feel like heading into the craziness of Black Friday (or those recuperating from morning forays into the madness), now you can make a date with your TV screen since NBC will be showing the game.Continue reading...

MF Global faces federal investigation over missing funds as its bankruptcy proceedings rattles Wall Street.

Unilever shelves some Culver brands.

AIG makes headlines as earnings slump continues.

Apple may be mulling end of Mac Pro line.

Autodesk shifts R&D budget toward the cloud.

Boeing must help airlines learn to fly new Dreamliner.

Debenhams tests virtual pop-up stores in the U.K.

DirecTV and News Corp. renew contentious carriage deal.

E! Network caught by surprise by Kim Kardashian divorce.

FDA ordered by President Obama to ease drug shortages.Continue reading...