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If UPS has its way, it could cost more to ship a package through the U.S. Postal Service. The shipping giant is petitioning federal regulators to force the Postal Service to adjust the way it calculates its costs, arguing that the agency is using the proceeds from its monopoly First Class mail to subsidize the…

Bridgestone Corp. increased its offer for auto parts retailer Pep Boys, the companies announced late Friday afternoon, matching the price offered by activist investor Carl Icahn. Pep Boys had agreed to sell itself to Bridgestone for $15 a share in October, but those plans were thrown into turmoil earlier, thanks to Icahn. The investor’s Icahn…

Newell Rubbermaid said Monday that it had reached a deal to acquire Jarden Corp., maker of Crock-Pots, Sunbeam, Rawlings, Coleman and other consumer goods, for $15.4 billion, or $13.2 billion when excluding convertible debt. The Rubbermaid brand manufacturer, which also makes Sharpie, Paper Mate and Irwin products, is buying Jarden for a combination of cash…

Retail sales rose modestly in November, but a key measure posted a healthy jump as the holiday shopping season got into full swing and solid job growth buoyed spending. Sales rose 0.2 percent, the Commerce Department said Friday, slightly below the 0.3 percent expected by economists. But excluding volatile autos and gasoline, sales increased 0.5…

Wal-Mart U.S. Chief Marketing Officer Stephen Quinn plans to step down in January after more than a decade at the company. In turn, Wal-Mart will hire former Target Chief Marketing Officer Michael Francis as a consultant and possibly to work with an ultimate successor. Wal-Mart Spokeswoman Deisha Barnett said Mr. Quinn will retire as of Jan.…

Men’s Wearhouse executives said they didn’t know how “toxic” promotions — such as buy-one-get-three free — at its struggling Jos. A. Bank brand would be when they bought it, but they’ve got a plan to fix it. Heading into the purchase, Chief Executive Doug Ewert said Men’s Wearhouse had a history of turning around troubled…

At a time when shoppers have more options than ever, Kohl's is placing a wager that one set of customers can help revive its sales: its loyalists. The discount department store, which outperformed Macy's during the third quarter, is hoping to ride its momentum into the critical holiday shopping period, which accounted for one-third of its sales last…

The National Retail Federation yesterday called on Congress to reject a customs reauthorization bill set for a vote this week unless it includes a provision allowing states to require online merchants to collect sales tax the same as local stores.

U.S. officials on Wednesday sued J.C. Penney, accusing the retailer of deceiving consumers by advertising textile fiber products as containing bamboo and bamboo fiber, when they actually contain rayon. According to a complaint filed by the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission, J.C. Penney in "numerous instances" deceptively advertised products such as men's socks,…

One month ago nearly the entire town of Hanover, New Hampshire woke up with something on their doorstep. While not a creature was stirring, a team of 30 Zappos employees descended upon the small town on Nov. 10 to deliver happiness. The gifts came in the form of 1,900 boxes, each containing cold-weather gear including…