MARKETING

The explosion of ways people watch television is confounding the media industry, which has relied for decades on the Nielsen ratings but now must adapt to the realities of the Internet and on-demand video.

The explosion of ways people watch television is confounding the media industry, which has relied for decades on the Nielsen ratings but now must adapt to the realities of the Internet and on-demand video.

Japan's largest retailer Seven & I Holdings on Thursday posted a 20 percent drop in first-half operating profit as it considers closing 16 percent of its supermarkets to cope with a sharp sales decline, and it kept a recently revised-down forecast.

Toys R Us Inc said on Wednesday that it would hire about 35,000 seasonal workers for its U.S. stores as it prepares for the upcoming holiday shopping season.

The economy is still spooking shoppers. U.S. consumers plan to spend an average of $56.31 on Halloween this year, down from $66.54 in 2008, according to a National Retail Federation survey.

Regional appliance and electronics retailer hhgregg Inc said it will add 800 seasonal jobs at 117 of its stores to help cope with increased customer traffic during the holiday season.

An adviser to the European Union's top court backed Google in a row with luxury goods maker LVMH over Internet advertising, saying the Web search firm had not infringed trade mark rights.

Foreign media in China have been targeted by emails laden with malicious computer software in attacks that appear to be tied to the run-up to the National Day military parade on October 1.

An adviser to the European Union's top court backed Google on Tuesday in a row with luxury goods maker LVMH over Internet advertising, saying the Web search firm had not infringed trade mark rights.

Avon Products Inc President Elizabeth Smith is leaving the company to pursue her ambition of being a chief executive, the world's leading direct seller of cosmetics said on Thursday.

Toyota Motor Corp is preparing a $1 billion marketing campaign to boost U.S. sales in the fourth quarter, while also expanding its line of hybrid models under the Prius name, the company said on Thursday.

Oil prices extended this week's robust gains on Thursday, buoyed by weakness in the U.S. dollar and gains on the stock market.

Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) is preparing a $1 billion marketing campaign to boost U.S. sales in the fourth quarter, while also planning to expand its line of hybrid models under the Prius name, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

Australia's competition regulator plans to allow U.S. major Chevron Corp and partners to jointly market gas from the Gorgon project in Australia to domestic consumers, it said on Thursday.

Some of the world's largest commercial real estate service companies are turning to online auctions to sell property and debt to help kick-start the stalled U.S. commercial real estate market.

New York cable TV operator Cablevision Systems Corp said on Tuesday it is rolling out a service to enable subscribers to interact with commercials by clicking on their remote controls.

Interest in U.S. real estate by international buyers declined due to the worldwide recession and severe credit crunch, according to the 2009 National Association of Realtors Profile of International Home Buying Activity.

Real estate professionals and home builders are pushing for an extension and an increase in tax incentives to encourage homebuying.

U.S. stocks fell modestly on Friday, snapping a five-day streak of gains, as declining crude oil prices offset positive economic data and a rosy outlook from shipping company FedEx Corp .

Time Warner Inc, News Corp and a dozen other top media companies officially announced plans on Thursday to create a coalition to study new ways to measure television audiences.

France's Carrefour launched its second Russian store on Thursday with a pledge to pursue acquisitions in the country, and said the crisis had not changed its long-term vision of the market.