International Business News - consumerservices http://www.ibtimes.com All articles are copyrighted by IBTimes.com 400 100 http://www.ibtimes.com/ http://www.ibtimes.com/images/top_logo_ibt2_3.gif Major media companies' shares dropped with the broader market Friday morning after the Labor Department reported a spike in unemployment, rattling investors worried about increasing pressures on consumer spending. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080606/opening-glance-media-companies-shares-drop.htm Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:34:01 EDT Among the premarket stories for Friday, June 6, from AP Financial News: NEW YORK (AP)--Shares of Focus Media Holding Ltd. fell in premarket trading Friday after the Chinese advertising network operator cut its annual outlook due to the effects of a May earthquake. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080606/premarket-roundup-focus-media-panera-bread.htm Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:09:11 EDT UAL Corp.'s United Airlines said Friday it has reached a deal with an employee union that will give 600 flight attendants the option to voluntarily leave their jobs, as part of a job cut plan announced earlier this week. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080606/united-in-early-out-deal-with-flight-attendants.htm Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:50:44 EDT Morgans Hotel Group Co. said Friday that its joint venture with DLJ Merchant Banking Partners closed on funding for the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino's expansion. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080606/morgans-joint-venture-closes-on-hard-rock-funding.htm Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:31:18 EDT Air New Zealand said Friday that it will raise air fares and eliminate flights on some routes in response to the high cost of fuel and declines in passenger demand. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080606/nz-airline-raises-fares-cuts-capacity.htm Fri, 06 Jun 2008 08:49:06 EDT Gordon Ramsay is in a California state of mind. The fiery Scottish chef and star of Fox's "Hell's Kitchen" and "Kitchen Nightmares" was all smiles at the opening of his latest restaurant, Gordon Ramsay at The London West Hollywood, on Wednesday evening. The event was attended by celebrity guests such as "Will and & Grace" co-star Eric McCormack, "Survivor" host Jeff Probst, Khloe Kardashian and David Beckham. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080606/gordon-ramsay-opens-restaurant-in-west-hollywood.htm Fri, 06 Jun 2008 08:31:26 EDT An oversupply of flat-screen televisions could lead to lower prices and reduced revenue for Best Buy Co., a Deutsche Bank analyst said Friday, downgrading the electronics retailer to "Hold." http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080606/ahead-of-the-bell-deutsche-bank-cuts-best-buy.htm Fri, 06 Jun 2008 08:11:16 EDT PriceSmart Inc., an operator of shopping warehouse clubs in Central America and the Caribbean, said Friday same-store sales increased 20.7 percent during the five-week period ended June 1. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080606/pricesmart-same-store-sales-rise-20-7-percent.htm Fri, 06 Jun 2008 08:10:55 EDT Shares of Focus Media Holding Ltd. fell in premarket trading Friday after the Chinese advertising network operator cut its annual outlook due to the effects of a May earthquake. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080606/ahead-of-the-bell-focus-media-falls.htm Fri, 06 Jun 2008 08:09:49 EDT Continental Airlines Inc. and ExpressJet Holdings Inc. have signed a seven-year capacity purchase agreement that will allow ExpressJet to continue to provide regional jet service for Continental. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080606/continental-expressjet-sign-7-year-capacity-deal.htm Fri, 06 Jun 2008 07:53:39 EDT Panera Bread Co.'s ability to lock in favorable wheat prices will likely help the bakery-and-cafe chain's earnings potential, an analyst said Friday in boosting her rating. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080606/ahead-of-the-bell-analyst-upgrades-panera-bread.htm Fri, 06 Jun 2008 07:52:29 EDT A book publisher has sued Victoria Gotti for the return of an advance she was paid to write a memoir she never delivered. HarperCollins Publishers LLC says in court papers filed Thursday in New York that the book was due in 2005. Gotti notified HarperCollins last September she was terminating the contract. http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/65146-people-victoria-gotti.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080606/publisher-sues-victoria-gotti-over-book-advance.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080606/publisher-sues-victoria-gotti-over-book-advance.htm Fri, 06 Jun 2008 08:28:49 EDT AOL said Friday that it plans to expand its online advertising efforts in Europe and looks to further broaden its reach across the world by the end of next year. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080606/aol-to-expand-online-advertising-efforts-in-europe.htm Fri, 06 Jun 2008 07:27:32 EDT Government data released Friday is forecast to show the nation's unemployment rate edged up in May as employers shed jobs for the fifth straight month. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080606/ahead-of-the-bell-unemployment-rate.htm Fri, 06 Jun 2008 06:17:01 EDT Business travelers are likely to lose out when the fall off-peak season arrives and airlines that have cut flights slap more restrictions on the cheap fares that usually come that time of year. http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/64989-continental-airlines.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080606/continental-airlines-to-cut-3-000-jobs-capacity.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080606/continental-airlines-to-cut-3-000-jobs-capacity.htm Fri, 06 Jun 2008 04:26:44 EDT A Manhattan skyscraper that is home to The New York Times became the site of twin daredevil stunts Thursday, with two men scaling the 52-story office tower within a matter of hours. http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/65021-skyscraper-climber.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080606/skyscraper-hosts-daredevil-stunts-day.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080606/skyscraper-hosts-daredevil-stunts-day.htm Fri, 06 Jun 2008 07:50:24 EDT Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is using lessons from its U.S. operations such as multiple store formats and environmental sustainability to help grow its international business, whose sales increased almost 18 percent to $90.6 billion last year. http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/64824-wal-mart-merchandise.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080606/wal-marts-international-business-borrows-from-us.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080606/wal-marts-international-business-borrows-from-us.htm Fri, 06 Jun 2008 01:27:05 EDT Wal-Mart's better-than-expected sales in May got a boost from customers spending their government stimulus checks, but company officials noted that its faster, cleaner and friendlier approach to merchandising is clearly resonating with shoppers in a challenging economy. http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/65256-wal-mart-merchandise.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080606/wal-mart-benefits-from-new-merchandising-focus.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080606/wal-mart-benefits-from-new-merchandising-focus.htm Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:30:01 EDT Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is using lessons from its U.S. operations such as multiple store formats and environmental sustainability to help grow its international business, whose sales increased almost 18 percent to $90.6 billion last year. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080605/wal-marts-international-business-borrows-from-us.htm Thu, 05 Jun 2008 22:42:51 EDT Time Warner Cable Inc. was accused Thursday of lying to Los Angeles subscribers and providing shoddy customer service in a lawsuit that seeks potentially tens of millions of dollars in fines against the city's main provider of cable television. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080605/la-sues-time-warner-cable-claims-shoddy-service.htm Thu, 05 Jun 2008 19:51:45 EDT