News

For months, the debate over healthcare has almost exclusively focused on the individual-mandate, as we waited on the Supreme Court to determine the fate of the law. As a result many complex and crucial pieces of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), such as the employer-mandate, have received comparatively little attention. Given the enormous implications of changes to employer-sponsored coverage and the 170 million Americans who currently rely on it for coverage, it is time that more attention is paid to the issue.

MINNEAPOLIS — Fiber One has introduced new snack bars for kids.

Fiber One Chewy bars tout 110 calroies or less and 8 g or less of sugar and do not contain high-fructose corn syrup, Fiber One said. The bars are available in chocolate and strawberry PB&J varieties and are complete with a peanut butter or chocolate-flavored bottom.

By a nearly 3-to-1 margin, retailers say that internal theft is more extensive than external theft at their establishments, according to a new survey conducted by PointofSale.com. 

“It’s interesting to me that about half the respondents view their POS system as a means of theft prevention,” said Craig Aberle, publisher of PointofSale.com, who designed the survey. “Yet, theft continues to be a rampant problem among retailers.”

New York -- Best Buy plans to hire 500 new Geek Squad staffers. The move comes some two weeks after the retailer said it would lay off 600 existing workers in the tech support arm of its business as it looked to focus the group less on basic installation services and more on remote tech consulting. It also comes as Verizon announced it was partnering with Geek Squad to offer services to meet the information technology requirements of small and mid-size businesses across the country.

WAYNE, N.J.  — Toys"R"Us, Nickelodeon and Playmates Toys have a potential cash cow on their hands with the revamped "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" CG-animated series and corresponding line of action figures, vehicles, role play items and playsets. The series premieres Saturday, Sept. 29, at 11:00 a.m. (ET/PT) with a one-hour special event. The toys, developed by Playmates, is available in stores and online.

New York -- Ralph Lauren Corp. said CFO Tracey Travis has resigned to pursue other interests.

Robert Madore, senior VP finance, will assume the role on an interim basis, effective July 30, the company said in a regulatory filing.
 

PLANO, Texas — JCPenney has enlisted the services of Nina Garcia, a well-known fashion expert to help the company become more of a style destination. Garcia, who serves as fashion director of Marie Claire and as a judge on the fashion reality show, "Project Runway," will serve as the company's resident style voice and fashion collection curator.

New York -- Foursquare announced the release of Local Updates, a new way for retailers to connect with loyal customers when they are nearby. The free tool will allow retailers to offer deals and specials to users in the area that have previously “Liked” or checked-in at their establishment.