London Heathrow is the third-busiest airport in the world, moving close to 70 million people down its two runways each year. It can feel a bit cramped there and anybody who has walked its floors might tell you that all 70 million of those folks were in the place the day they were there. 

The government has threatened to scuttle a proposed third runway, which has Heathrow operator BAA threatening to sue as it's eager to expand capacity. And from the "you can't please all the people all the time" dept., one group of Brits would love the 83-year-old airport to be leveled and converted into landscaped gardens, a residential area, and a university. Yet customer surveys indicate that over 70% of passengers at the airport rate their experience as 'Excellent' or 'Very Good.'

As it looks to become more efficient and truly "make every journey better" in order to bump those customer survey results even higher, Heathrow's retail partners and shoppers are certainly happy. According to an airport spokesperson, “Heathrow has the highest retail sales of any airport in the world ahead of Incheon airport in South Korea in second place.”Continue reading...

Burberry released the campaign for its Autumn/Winter 2012 collection, starring British actress Gabriella Wilde and musician Roo Panes. The black and white campaign, shot by fashion legend Mario Testino, uses London as the backdrop. "We wanted to play with everything that’s at the heart of the Burberry world – celebrating our brand and London through imagery, film, music, weather and our iconic outerwear, all in a very poetic and British way," explained Burberry chief creative officer Christopher Bailey.

In other fashion/luxury news today:Continue reading...

In a first for the NFL and Tiffany, and to celebrate the unveiling of their Super Bowl XLVI championship ring, the New York Giants are inviting fans to share in the moment.

Big Blue die-hards around the world will be able to virtually “try on” and take photos with the Tiffany & Co.-designed ring, as well as each of the team’s three previous Super Bowl rings, using a free augmented reality mobile app by GoldRun. Participants will also be able to pose with the coveted Lombardi Trophy.Continue reading...

Lululemon, the billion-dollar Canadian yoga-inspired athletic apparel brand founded by former surfer Dennis "Chip" Wilson in 1998, continues to cause a stir in retail, lifestyles and its focus on a tight community with bizarre principles. 

In its earnings report last month covering its fiscal year that ended on January 29th, the company's CEO, Christine Day, announced:

"Reaching a billion dollars in revenue is clearly an important milestone that as a company we can all be very proud of. But far more important than the number itself are the beliefs, values, culture and people that achieved it. We really are so much more than our numbers; it is the everyday actions of our dedicated team that translates into an unparalleled guest experience and allows us to achieve our ultimate goal of elevating the world."

The original mission that Wilson set out for the brand, to "elevate the world from mediocrity to greatness," has morphed into "create components for people to live long, healthy, and fun lives."Continue reading...

Long associated with engagement and wedding rings, diamonds may be a girl's best friend. But De Beers, the brand name most closely associated with the coveted stone, aims to make diamonds a retailer's best friend too, with its new iPhone/iPad app.

The De Beers Bridal App allows consumers to review a complete collection of wedding day jewelry, choose an engagement ring and matching wedding band, view videos to get expert information on how to choose diamonds, and go behind the scenes of De Beers' diamond selection, design, and craftsmanship. Leveraging the power of social media, the app encourages the consumer to select their favorites and share them with friends. The consumer can also sign up to receive emails from De Beers.

In a nice touch that will keep retailers happy, the app also offers up the retail locations closest to the user who sell De Beers jewelry and enables the consumer to make an appointment as well as locate the retailer on a map. While the consumer can "arrange a viewing" on the De Beers website, store locations are limited to a few major retailers in key cities.Continue reading...

Christian Louboutin is not about to let its very recognizable red sole get stepped on. The flash of color under spikey heels has become an identifying mark of the designer's high-priced shoes. Last August, Louboutin sought to protect that red sole in a case that pitted the iconic design house against another fashion legend, Yves Saint Laurent, who introduced shoes that were red all over, including the soles. But Louboutin was rebuffed by US District Judge Victor Marrero.

Hizzoner ruled that Christian Louboutin did not have a lock on the color red. In his opinion, Marrero wrote that "Louboutin's claim would cast a red cloud over the whole industry, cramping what other designers could do while allowing Louboutin to paint with a full palette. Louboutin would thus be able to market a total outfit in red, while other designers would not."

On Tuesday, Christian Louboutin was back in court, this time at the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York, in an attempt to defend its right to exclusively use red, and specifically a tone it calls "China Red," on the soles of it shoes. Louboutin's attorney, Harley Lewin, told a three-judge panel that "Christian Louboutin has created one of the more iconic trademarks of the 21st century. Louboutin turned a pedestrian item into a thing of beauty."

Opposing attorney David Bernstein, arguing on behalf of Yves St. Laurent, countered "Artists of this type need the full palette of colors available. In order to compete and compete fairly, we need red. We don't want to find out that we can make green, blue, purple shoes... but we are enjoined from making red."Continue reading...

Altria launches tobacco rights website.

Apple sees its devices dominate mobile ordering as brand plans books announcement and sets Red Friday sales event for Asia.

Avery Dennison sells office and consumer products business to 3M.

Axe woos young males with interactive comic book.

Bentley plans luxury SUV.

BMW sees 2012 premium growth.

BP sues Halliburton over Gulf spill, includes anti-BP protesters in new ad.

Bridgestone kicks off Super Bowl campaign at NHL Winter Classic.

Brisk ties into Star Wars 3D theatrical launch with mobile campaign.

Cadbury adopts vertical shelf-ready packaging.Continue reading...

Apple's environmental impact concerns China.

AT&T has an 11th hour plan to salvage T-Mobile deal and win over reluctant FCC.

American Airlines parent AMR files for bankruptcy protection to restructure debt as talks with pilots end.

American Express launches $20-million giveaway to spur online sales.

BSkyB holds annual meeting as James Murdoch survives investor vote; singer Charlotte Church alleges coverage trade-off for singing at Rupert Murdoch's wedding; and The Guardian reports broadening of News Corp. hacking scandal to include a North Ireland government minister.

Chevrolet gives three-day Sonic test drives to Klout leaders.

Cyber Monday sales come in 15-20 percent higher than a year ago.

Facebook targets $10 billion IPO for spring that would value social network at $100B.

Groupon shares plummet post-IPO.Continue reading...