Retail

After almost a decade of saggy performance, Levi Strauss is looking a lot more fit these days. And that's sparking speculation that the jeans maker could be in a position to go public again. Elizabeth Wynne Johnson goes behind the seams.

Tom Stemberg, founder of office-supply giant Staples, unveiled today a new venture capital fund. It will focus on retail start-ups that are just about the opposite of the type of store he pioneered. Steve Tripoli reports.

China has been struggling to address growing concerns about the safety of its products. And this week U.S. officials recalled three more toys made in China for potential health hazards. Amy Scott reports.

Trendsetters in Old Europe are spending more of their style dollars on MP3 players and cell phones and less on the clothes they wear, but clothing sales are up in the E.U.'s newest member states. Janet Babin reports.

Fireworks are as American as apple pie and the Fourth of July, except that almost all of them are made in China. So how do we know if they're safe? The industry acted to defuse that issue nearly 20 years ago, but it's not failsafe, John Dimsdale reports.

Guitar Center, which started almost a half century ago as a small appliance and organ shop in Hollywood, has been bought in a private-equity deal. How did the company get to being worth $2 billion? Rachel Dornhelm reports.

Rite Aid's Mary Sammons has faced her share of challenges since joining the company. In Part 2 of our interview, Kai Ryssdal spoke to the CEO about the early days.

Lots of people seem to be excited about July 7, 2007 and its ties to lucky 777. But companies in search of the Asian consumer have an even bigger day to look forward to: 8/8/08. Lenora Chu reports.

T.G.I. Friday's is bucking casual dining's super-size-me trend to offer a new "Right Portion, Right Price" menu. Customers get about 2/3 the food for about 2/3 the price. And for Friday's it's meant more customers, higher profits. Jeremy Hobson reports.