SalesHQ

'Loss would be only the second in Sony's history.' - In 2008, many companies that traditionally had high profits saw things change as the global economy went soft. Moving into 2009, the global economy hasn't changed and electronics firms that are traditionally profitable are now announcing that they could see a loss. Sony is reportedly ready to announce only its second ...

Few come-ons are more enticing to folks on tight budgets than these three words: two-for-one. That may be why, in the economic downturn, two-for-one offers are showing up in so many industries at once — from restaurants to retailers to telecommunications companies. Even some car dealers and home sellers are testing twofers. The deals, also known as "buy one, get one ...

U.S. television pitchman Billy Mays used cocaine days before his heart attack and the drug's use helped kill him, a Florida county medical examiner said Friday. The Hillsborough County medical examiner in Tampa, Fla., said Mays, 50, suffered from heart disease but his drug use was a contributing factor in his June 28 death, The New York Daily News reported. The ...

BEIJING - China's fast-growing population of Internet users has risen to 298 million after passing the United States last year to become the world's largest, a government-sanctioned research group said Tuesday. The latest figure is a 41.9 percent increase over the same period last year, the China Internet Network Information Center said in a report. China's Internet penetration is still low ...

As a maker of conveyor systems for manufacturers, Shuttleworth always changed with the times. The 100-employee Huntington (Ind.) company's strong business in electronics dropped off about five years ago as more production moved overseas. After that, the company focused on conveyors for food, health care, automotive, and paper products—until this year, when it entered what could be its most profitable niche ...

Stolen laptop? Now you can tell those thieves exactly what you think of them. Front Door Software's Retriever program displays your contact information as your computer boots up. There's even space for a plea to a Good Samaritan — "$50 for my safe return," maybe. In most cases, that's enough to help an honest person return the machine, said Carrie Hafeman, ...

You'll find him there, out on the sidewalk by the curb, in the 1600 block of 8th Avenue, dancing. Almost every day, around the noon hour, he's there when the people are driving past looking for lunch. He rocks, rolls, flaps his chicken wings, dances on his rubber chicken feet, his rubber chicken head bouncing to an unheard song. He's Leon ...

Sluggish consumer spending is forcing retailers to either find a niche, cut prices or risk losing business. Concerns mounted about the crucial back-to-school season as July sales dipped 5 percent, according to a survey of major chains by the International Council of Shopping Centers. The anemic sales are an indication that consumers—skittish because of rising unemployment and a treacherous housing market—are ...

WASHINGTON — Retail sales dropped in December as prices plunged at gasoline stations and stores, and consumers cut spending during the key holiday shopping season amid uncertainty about their jobs, incomes and the overall economy. Sales dropped a seasonally adjusted 2.7% in December, the sixth-consecutive monthly decline, the Commerce Department said. Sales were down 9.8% from December 2007, the biggest year-over-year ...

Americans watched more television than ever in the fourth quarter, Nielsen reported Monday, even though the Internet is providing another way to watch. The average American older than 2 years watched television for 151 hours per month, Nielsen said. That was up from 146 hours in the same period the previous year. More watching of recorded TV explained some of the ...

Why??

There's just something about a recession that makes people want to do funny things. Like wannabe comics who are out of a job and hoping amateur hour at comedy clubs could be the ticket to a paycheck - and maybe stardom. Because, really, how hard could that be? At New York City's Gotham Comedy Club, co-owner Chris Mazzilli says he saw ...

DETROIT — Chrysler held an impromptu press conference Wednesday morning to debunk rumors that it is discussing the sale of its brands, selling off its plants or going out of business. But being sold off as an entire company remains a possibility. The company was reacting to a report published Tuesday that said Chrysler is in talks to sell key assets ...

One of the best ways to rid yourself of excess stuff is to have a garage sale. Garage sales should not be done on a moment's notice, however. Like just about everything, they'll run better with forethought and organization. Here are some tips: Spring, early summer or fall are the best times to have a sale. Thursday or Friday are the ...

Shares of apparel makers jumped on Friday, part of a broader market rally, a day after many reported weak same-store sales in July. On Thursday, retailers reported overall sales in stores open at least one year fell 5 percent in July, according to a tally by The International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs. That marks the 11th consecutive monthly ...

Health issues forced Ted Campbell, 79, to give up real bowling in 1965. But Campbell, a resident of the Greenspring retirement community in Springfield, Va., bowls all the time now — on a Nintendo Wii video game system in a bowling league he organized at Greenspring. Seniors like Campbell are helping dispel an age-old stereotype: that folks getting up in years ...

Think you're a techie? Take our Name That Gadget quiz to test how well you can identify your favorite gadgets. The next page contains the answers. h4. Don't cheat! If you haven't taken The Name That Gadget Quiz, go take it first. See answers on the next page... [page] 1. Gadget 1 o Toshiba Gigabeat S o Creative Zen Plus o ...

The security guard/receptionist at a downtown medical building had an iPod ear bud attached to one ear and a cellphone glued to the other - and was doing a pretty good job of ignoring me as he carried on a loud, personal conversation. All I wanted to do was confirm my doctor's office number, but he had his priorities. Finally, I ...

The new General Motors Co. said Friday it was worried about regaining consumer confidence following its exit from Chapter 11, and that its sales won't improve in 2009 as U.S. economic troubles continue. In a sweeping review of its business filed late Friday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, GM also said it plans to register 3.5 billion shares of ...

'Netflix says that it will continue to offer the current bundled service.' - Movie rentals are a big business for many companies and traditional movie stores have been around for many years. As technology matured and the speeds of internet connections increased, streaming video online became a popular pastime for many users. Netflix started out as a mail order movie rental ...