Retailers across the country are yanking shoes, toys, Valentine’s gifts and other children’s goods from shelves to comply with a strict lead law that took effect Tuesday.
The repercussions of the hotly debated Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, which bans the sale of children’s products containing dangerous amounts of lead and chemicals called phthalates, began rippling through the industry as manufacturers realized the law wasn’t going away…. More info
[ad#cor1]
For the action sports industry in 2009, it’s all about keeping your head above water.
Already struggling with a glut of inventory, the $14.4 billion industry is forecasting sales to fall as much as 25 percent this year. Some surfboard makers say their business is down 30 percent to 40 percent as consumers put off larger purchases.
With numbers like that, industry insiders say some brands will disappear and the economic undertow will pull down a number of mom-and-pop shops, considered the backbone of the business because of their connection to the core action sports customer…. More info
[ad#cor1]
Money is an emotional issue, especially during economic hard times. Social scientists have always warned that once a person’s basic needs are met money doesn’t buy happiness. But if you’re wondering, or maybe even arguing over, what to do with any precious discretionary income these days, a new study suggests how to get the biggest emotional bang for your buck.
Ryan Howell, an assistant professor of psychology at San Francisco State University, found that buying experiences — such as vacations, going to the theater or renting a sailboat — gave people more happiness than buying material things. The study, of 154 people ages 19 to 50, showed that experiences increase happiness …Â More info
[ad#cor1]